Important Information Regarding Filing Federal Income Taxes

Dear Constituent,

Today, I met with local community leaders at Streets Ministries to urge my constituents to use the IRS Free File program to save money and maximize their refund this tax season. Free File is a public-private partnership between the IRS and tax preparation companies that provides 70 percent of all taxpayers – anyone who made $64,000 or less in 2016 – the best-known and most trusted commercial tax preparation software products at no cost.

Free File software walks taxpayers through an interview-style process online, which helps to cut down on errors and maximize their refund – importantly with no hidden costs or fees. Each year, tens of thousands of taxpayers receive a smaller refund because they fail to claim all the credits and deductions they are eligible to receive. For instance, estimates indicate up to 25 percent of people eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) fail to claim it and miss out on a refundable federal tax credit of up to $6,200.

My constituents can use the Free File program by visiting www.irs.gov/freefile and choosing the product that's best for them, or by downloading the free IRS2Go app from Google Play, the Apple App Store or Amazon Appstore. The deadline to file 2016 federal income tax returns is April 18, 2017.

As always, I remain.
Most sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress