Free tax preparation

The IRS offers free basic tax preparation to people who qualify through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

This happens in two ways: 1) IRS-certified volunteers prepare your return for you or 2) you prepare your own return using our free software with coaching from a certified volunteer.

You qualify for help with a volunteer-prepared return at one of our local tax sites if you earn less than $69,000. If your income is less than $89,000, you could prepare your own return online with help from a volunteer coach.  Our programs also serve taxpayers with disabilities or limited English.

Volunteers can only prepare returns if they have received training and achieved certification on specific tax topics.  Not all returns can be prepared at a VITA site. Site coordinators at each location can help taxpayers understand what types of returns are out of scope. 

The University of Missouri Extension sponsors the tax programs in partnership with agencies in the KC Metro Tax Coalition.

Taxes due by April 15th

The regular tax season typically runs January through April 15th. If you need more time to file your taxes, you can request an extension to file until October 15th. You must file your request by the April tax filing due date to get the extension. Make sure you pay any tax you owe by the April filing date. The extension is only for filing your return.

Some tax sites in the KC Metro Tax Coalition will continue to serve taxpayers from April 15th through October 15th, based on volunteer availability. Volunteers can assist you with current year taxes, prior year taxes, and amendments.

Filing in-person at a tax site:

For your appointment, you must have a government issued photo ID for yourself (and your spouse) and social security cards (or ITINS) for everyone in the household. If you are married-filing-jointly, both spouses must be present to sign the required forms.

In order to prepare an accurate tax return, volunteers will need to see documents showing your income, expenses, and other information. Please be ready with these documents.

Please do not schedule if you are not eligible for services or if you do not have all of your tax documents ready.  If you arrive without the necessary items, volunteers will not be able to prepare your return.

For more information, please refer to these instructions for your appointment.

Filing your own return online:

There are two ways to file your own return through the Kansas City Metro Tax Coalition.  1) You may call United Way 2-1-1 and make an appointment at the Facilitated Self Assistance site at Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council  or 2) MyFreeTaxes is an online service brought to you by United Way where you can prepare and file your own federal and state taxes, completely for free. If you get stuck, United Way provides support through phone, email or text to help you complete your return. Click the button below to go to the MyFreeTaxes site where you can find additional details.

Learn more about filing online using MyFreeTaxes

Need help?

Our volunteers prepare tax returns. If you need help with something else tax related, these resources may be helpful to you. Find help on the IRS website or check out IRS Services Guide to learn more about the resources available to individual taxpayers.

Visit the local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center, located at:

• Kansas City
  30 W. Pershing Rd., Suite 600 (Union Station)
  Kansas City, MO 64108
• Overland Park
  6717 Shawnee Mission Parkway
  Overland Park, KS 66202

To make an appointment at the IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center, call (844) 545-5640.

Check on the status of your refund:

• IRS Where’s My Refund?
• Missouri Department of Revenue
• Kansas Department of Revenue

If you need legal assistance in the Kansas City area, consider the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic at:

• Legal Aid of Western Missouri
  1-800-990-2907
• UMKC School of Law
  816-235-6201
  umkclawtaxclinic@umkc.edu