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Free Tax Return Preparation for Qualifying Taxpayers

The IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs offer free basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals.

The VITA program has operated for over 50 years. VITA sites offer free tax help to people who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns, including:

  • People who generally make $58,000 or less
  • Persons with disabilities; and
  • Limited English-speaking taxpayers

In addition to VITA, the TCE program offers free tax help, particularly for those who are 60 years of age and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors.

While the IRS manages the VITA and TCE programs, the VITA/TCE sites are operated by IRS partners and staffed by volunteers who want to make a difference in their communities. The IRS-certified volunteers who provide tax counseling are often retired individuals associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS.

For more information, and to locate a VITA or TCE site near you, visit the IRS Web site: Free Tax Return Preparation for Qualifying Taxpayers | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov)

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Senior Medicare Patrol: Beware of COVID Vaccine Scams

From the Senior Medicare Patrol: Check with your health care provider before paying for or receiving any COVID-19-related treatment.

  • You likely will not need to pay anything out of pocket to get the vaccine during this public health emergency.
  • You cannot pay to put your name on a list to get the vaccine.
  • You cannot pay to get early access to the vaccine.
  • No one from Medicare or the Health Department will contact you.
  • No one from a vaccine distribution site or health care payer, like a private insurance company, will call you asking for your Social Security number or your credit card or bank account information to sign you up to get the vaccine.

To report COVID-19 VACCINE SCAMS or fraud: 855-613-7080

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California Senior Medicare Patrol Fraud Alert: COVID-19 Contact Tracing

From the California Senior Medicare Patrol:

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra this week warned residents to be on guard against scammers who send email, text messages or call people, pretending to be coronavirus contact tracers and trick people into providing personal information.

The scammers deceive people into believing they have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Then they ask for private, healthcare information such as the Medicare number, Social Security number or bank account information.

“Legitimate contact tracers will never ask for personal information such as your Social Security number or financial information. It sickens the soul that there are people out there who make it their business to scam you as most of us seek to band together to respond to the coronavirus pandemic,” Becerra said in a statement.

If you get a call such as this, please report it to Senior Medicare Patrol on its toll-free hot line: 855-613-7080.

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Coronavirus: What Older Adults Need to Know

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) has posted information for older adults about the novel coronavirus situation. Titled “Coronavirus: What Older Adults Need to Know,” the information explains that older adults are at higher risk, and provides information about how older adults can be supported as the situation evolves.

For more information, see the NCOA’s Coronavirus: What Older Adults Need to Know page, in English or en espanol.

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