Mayor Rahm Emanuel and City of Chicago Treasurer Kurt Summers announced the expansion of Tax Prep Chicago, the 16th annual citywide free tax preparation assistance program. Due to an expanded relationship between the City of Chicago, Center for Economic Progress, Ladder Up, and AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, the number of free tax preparation assistance sites will nearly double – from 21 to 36 sites. Last year, Tax Prep Chicago helped nearly 21,000 families and individuals receive over $34 million in tax refunds and credits. Families earning up to $50,000 or individuals earning up to $25,000 are eligible to take advantage of the City’s free and confidential income tax assistance at 36 locations across Chicago.
To protect consumers who choose to have their returns performed by a commercial tax preparation service as opposed to a non-profit tax preparation site, the city mandates that commercial tax preparers inform taxpayers of their rights and disclose any hidden fees and hard to find fine print during tax preparation. The City’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) requires businesses to employ easy-to-understand disclosure forms that clearly lay out all costs before the return is prepared. The Consumer Bill of Rights Regarding Tax Preparation Services, and an informational flier called “Know Before You Hire a Tax Preparer” are both available in English and Spanish on BACP’s website. For more information about how to access free tax assistance, Chicagoans can:
- Call the City’s 311 helpline
- Find their closest tax prep location by visiting the City’s tax assistance website at www.TaxPrepChicago.org
- Visit the Center for Economic Progress at www.economicprogress.org or call (312) 252-0280
- Visit Ladder Up at www.goladderup.org or call (312) 409-4719
- Visit www.aarp.org/findtaxhelp or call 1-888-AARPNOW (1-888-227-7669)
- Visit the IRS at www.irs.gov and type “free tax help” in the search box or call (800) 829-1040 / (800) 829-4059 (TDD)
