Category: Free Tax Help
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The IRS shuts its online IP PIN tool from mid-November to mid-January
The IRS says its online tool for getting an Identity Protection PIN will go offline in mid-November for annual maintenance and generally come back in mid-January. The agency made the announcement in an October 22 news release, IR-2026-127, aimed at taxpayers who plan to file early in 2027. Anyone who wants an IP PIN for…
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The IRS replaced IRS2Go with a free app for refunds, payments and notices
The IRS has replaced its IRS2Go phone app with a new, free IRS app that lets taxpayers see refund status, payments and select notices on a phone. The agency announced the change on September 25 in news release IR-2026-114, saying IRS2Go “becomes IRS app.” People who already use IRS2Go do not need a second download.…
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The IRS says people who never filed a return, or have not filed in over six years, may need another way to pay than free Direct Pay
Free Direct Pay is the IRS’s no-fee way to pay a federal tax bill from a bank account, but it has a catch for people who are behind on filing. In a September 10 news release, the IRS said taxpayers who have never filed a tax return, or who have not filed in more than…
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A yearly earnings statement is free from Social Security; a certified copy is not
The Social Security Administration has raised the price of several records it hands out to people who need them for something other than a benefit claim. A plain yearly earnings statement is not one of them: it stays free. A certified copy of a detailed earnings record is a different matter, and the new fee…
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The IRS replaced its old mobile app on September 25
The Internal Revenue Service announced on September 25, 2026 that its new mobile app has replaced the old one, IRS2Go. The new app adds ways to check a refund, see a balance, make a payment and read some IRS notices from a phone. IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Bisignano said in the agency’s news…
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IRS volunteers prepared nearly 2.9 million free tax returns this year, and filers earning about $70,244 or less generally qualify
Volunteers at IRS-backed free tax sites helped file nearly 2.9 million returns at no cost in 2026. The IRS says more than 84,500 volunteers did that work at about 9,000 sites around the country. The agency put out that count on October 1 while it recruits volunteers for the next filing season. For households watching…
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The IRS swapped IRS2Go for a free app showing refunds, balances and payments
The phone app that taxpayers have used for more than a decade to check a refund has a new name and more jobs. The Internal Revenue Service announced on Sept. 25, 2026 that its new IRS app replaces IRS2Go, and the agency says it costs nothing. People who sign in can see refunds, balances and…
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A Tucson tax preparer was convicted on 22 counts of filing false returns and faces sentencing Feb. 23, 2027
A paid tax preparer in Tucson, Arizona, has been found guilty of preparing false federal income tax returns for her clients without their knowledge. Darlene Musgrove, 68, was convicted on 22 counts on October 5, and she faces sentencing on February 23, 2027. The verdict in Tucson The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of…
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The IRS says filers earning $89,000 or less can use guided Free File software at no cost
Tax season feels far away on the first weekend of October, yet the IRS keeps a free federal filing route running all year for returns that are still outstanding. The agency’s guided software option is limited to filers with an adjusted gross income of $89,000 or less, and the window for the 2025 tax year…
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The IRS has retired IRS2Go for an app that shows a refund, a balance and an identity-theft PIN
On September 25 the IRS announced that a new app, called simply the IRS app, replaces IRS2Go. The app is free on the Apple App Store and Google Play, and its listed services include checking a refund, viewing an available balance and retrieving an Identity Protection PIN. Five more services round out the eight the…