Forget the groundhog—the sure signs of spring are the sweet return of Shamrock shakes, Girl Scout cookies, potholes and tax season. This season, because of the lingering effects of COVID-19, Prepare + Prosper (P+P) has bolstered its ability to help qualified individuals get their taxes prepared for free, by helping them do it themselves.
P+P is the largest IRS-authorized Volunteer Income Tax Assistance or VITA tax prep site in Minnesota. In pre-pandemic years, the organization would organize hundreds of trained volunteers at a dozen metro locations to help thousands of taxpayers with preparing and submitting their returns to the IRS, all at no cost to the customer.
To build capacity and help even more Minnesotans with filing their taxes, P+P has expanded this program with greater resources. “DIY Tax Prep offers three main things,” said David Langley, the engagement manager at P+P. “First, we provide access to free tax preparation software; then a tax guide and virtual training available either live during online scheduled webinars or pre-recorded to be watched at the customer’s convenience; and third, we have expert support available to answer questions through phone or email.”
Lula, a DIY customer, stated in 2021, “The whole P+P team [was] so helpful, patient and kind with me and my family as we navigated our taxes. The online TaxSlayer software was super easy and accessible, and they answered our questions about self-employment and dependents. I’m so grateful for their services.”
The service is limited to filers with a total household income of $73,000 or less during the 2021 tax year, and the staff and volunteers have some limitations to assist with complex tax situations, such as income from driving a cab, rental property, cryptocurrency, or if any type of bankruptcy was filed in 2021.
This software and service are not available for tax years prior to 2021.
Learn more and access DIY Tax Prep at prepareandprosper.org/do-it-yourself-tax-prep.
Reach the staff at the MSR at msrnewsonline@spokesman-recorder.com.