On Thursday, March 12, Representative G. K. Butterfield (NC-1st District) will be in Greenville and Louisburg to urge eligible North Carolina residents to use the IRS and North Carolina Free File programs to save money at tax time. In general, people with an income of $60,000 or less – roughly 70 percent of all taxpayers – are able to use brand name tax preparation software to prepare and file their taxes for free.
Free File is a public-private partnership between the Internal Revenue Service and tax preparation software companies. North Carolina is one of 20 states plus the District of Columbia that have formed state Free File programs, enabling eligible taxpayers to file both their federal and state tax return online for free.
Each year, the tax filing process results in unclaimed tax credits and deductions. For instance, estimates indicate 20 to 25 percent of people eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) fail to claim it, missing out on a refundable federal tax credit of up to $6,000.
This program can also help take the stress out of new changes this year resulting from the start of the Affordable Care Act. For the first time, taxpayers will have to disclose their health care status or face a tax penalty. The software made available through the Free File program uses simple, interview-style formats to help people navigate these processes.
After the briefing, there will be a Free File product demonstration for local community organizations and other interested individuals, showing them just how easy tax preparation can be. Media is encouraged to stay for the demonstration.
WHO: Representative G. K. Butterfield
Carolyn V. Jones, IRS
Nancy Council, North Carolina Department of Revenue
Dave Macklin, Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA)
Ellen Evans, Intuit Financial Freedom Foundation
WHAT: Encouraging North Carolina Residents to Use Free File at Tax Time / Free File Demonstration
WHEN: Thursday, March 12, 2015
10:30 a.m. – Public briefing with Rep. Butterfield in Greenville
11:00 a.m. – Free File Demonstration
2:30 p.m. – Public briefing with Rep. Butterfield in Louisburg
3:00 p.m. – Free File Demonstration
WHERE: 10:30 a.m.
STRIVE
600 West Third Street
Greenville, NC 27834
2:30 p.m.
Vance-Granville Community College
Franklin County Campus, Building 4
8100 N. C. 56 Highway
Louisburg, NC 27549
To access the North Carolina Free File program, visit www.dornc.com and click on “File Your Individual Income Tax Electronically” under E-Services, then “NCFreeFile” logo. For the IRS Free File program, visit www.irs.gov/freefile. More information is also available at CCIA’s Free File website, www.taxprephelp.org.