Tax Day is only a week away, and Pennsylvanians have options for preparing both state and federal taxes for free online.
This year’s deadline for filing personal income taxes is Monday, April 18. The date was extended from the usual April 15 because Washington, D.C., observes a regional holiday, called Emancipation Day, this Friday.
While providers such as eFile, FreeTaxUSA, H&R Block, and TurboTax offer some online services for free, the offering sometimes only covers simple returns and might not apply to the preparation of state taxes.
But in Pennsylvania, filers can prepare their state taxes free of charge at mypath.pa.gov. The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue hosts the service, which does not require a username or password.
The site allows users to file the Pennsylvania Personal Income Tax Return (PA-40), make payments, respond to department requests for information, and check their refund status. The platform can handle a range of tax documents, including federal forms W-2 and 1099-MISC.
Taxpayers whose adjusted gross income is $73,000 or less qualify for free guided federal tax preparation services, too. The IRS lists eight free-file options on its website. It also offers a free fillable form for those whose adjusted gross income exceeds $73,000, though it warns users that they should know how to prepare their own tax returns using form instructions and IRS resources.
As of April 1, the IRS had issued 63 million refunds averaging about $3,200 each.
