The Internal Revenue Service will provide this assistance through its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs, where retired IRS employees, members of the AARP, and other volunteers will help anyone who seeks help to file their income tax returns electronically at no charge.

“This is a wonderful service that we all have an opportunity to take advantage of,” Ross said.  “Many of us need help filling out all those forms every year, unfortunately, not everyone can afford professional help in doing so.  The VITA and TCE services provide our seniors and working families with free access to these professionals.”

Priscilla Gray with the Taxpayer Advocate Service says that mistakes on traditional filing are common, and that such mistakes can delay tax returns.  She says that the top three groups of people who make the most mistakes are new filers such as low-income singles, recently widowed spouses, and young families.  “With electronic filing, the error percentage is less than 2 percent,” said Gray, “and your refund will be send directly to your bank account in 10 to 14 days.  We encourage everyone to E-file if they can.”

For more information on VITA and TCE, and to find a location in your community, visit www.irs.gov or call (800) 829-1040.  To file electronically on your own, visit the IRS website www.firstgov.gov.