Free Tax Help for Seniors: What TCE Is and How to Find It
Tax season can feel heavy, especially once you have a little side income. Here is some good news: free tax help exists for older adults. It is called Tax Counseling for the Elderly, or TCE, and it could save you the cost of a paid preparer. That is money you can put toward the bill you are working to replace.
What TCE is
According to the IRS, TCE offers free tax help, particularly to people age 60 and older. It specializes in pension and retirement-related questions that are unique to seniors. Trained volunteers do the work. The IRS says all volunteers who prepare returns must pass tax law training, and every return gets a quality review before it is filed.
Most TCE sites are run by the AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program.
Will they help with side income?
That depends on the site. The IRS says services vary from site to site, depending on whether volunteers have the tax law expertise your return needs. If you earned money from crafts, odd jobs or online gigs, call ahead. Ask whether the site can prepare a return with self-employment income. If it cannot, they may point you to another option.
Remember that the IRS says you usually must pay self-employment tax if your net earnings from self-employment were $400 or more. You can read more in our guide to taxes on side income. Side income can also affect some benefits, so ask about that as well. Check your own situation with the IRS (irs.gov) and the Social Security Administration (ssa.gov).
How to find a site
- Visit the IRS VITA/TCE Locator Tool at freetaxassistance.for.irs.gov, or call 800-906-9887. The IRS says its locator is updated regularly from February through April.
- For AARP Tax-Aide sites, use the AARP site locator on aarp.org or call 888-227-7669. The IRS says this locator is for January through April.
- Call the site to ask about appointments, what to bring, and whether they can handle your kind of income.
Appointment times may be limited, so try to call as soon as locations are posted. The IRS also has a related program called VITA, which helps people who generally make about $70,244 or less, as well as people with disabilities.
Stay safe
Real TCE volunteers do not ask for payment. Be careful with anyone who promises a bigger refund for a fee, or who asks you to sign a blank return. Use the official locator links above rather than a link in a text message or email.
Make it part of your plan
Keep your records simple during the year, as described in our record-keeping guide. When tax season comes, you will have everything ready to bring.
More on Replace a Bill
- Step 4: Understand the Taxes on Side Income
- Setting Aside Tax on Side Income: Social Security Withholding or Estimated Payments
- Step 5: Set Up a Simple Record-Keeping System
