The IRS offers free basic tax preparation to people who qualify through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs.

You qualify if you earn less than $64,000 (for VITA) or if you are 60 years of age or older (for TCE). Our programs also serve taxpayers with disabilities or limited English.

A volunteer can prepare your return at one of our local tax sites or you can prepare your own return online using free software.

The University of Missouri Extension sponsors the tax programs in partnership with agencies in the KC Metro Tax Coalition.

Kansas City Metropolitan Tax Coalition

  • Avenue of Life
  • Belton Senior Center
  • Community Services League
  • Credit & Homeownership Empowerment Services Inc.
  • El Centro, Inc
  • Guadalupe Centers
  • Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council
  • KC Shepherd’s Center
  • KCK Community College
  • K-State Extension
  • Liberty Silver Center
  • Local Investment Commission (LINC)
  • LTX Tax Services
  • Metropolitan Community College
  • Operation Breakthrough
  • Palmer Center
  • Rockhurst University
  • The Whole Person
  • United Way of Greater Kansas City
  • University of Missouri Extension
  • University of Missouri Kansas City

Taxes due by April 15th

The regular tax season is January 29th through April 15th. If you need more time to file your taxes, you can request an extension through October 15th. You must file your request by the April tax filing due date to get the extension. Make sure you pay any tax you owe by the April filing date. The extension is only for filing your return.

Some tax sites in the KC Metro Tax Coalition will continue to serve taxpayers from April 15th through October 15th, based on volunteer availability. If you would like to be notified when appointments become available, please join our contact list (select link below). Volunteers can assist you with current year taxes, prior year taxes, and amendments.

join our contact list

Filing in-person at a tax site:

For your appointment, you must have a government issued photo ID for yourself (and your spouse) and social security cards (or ITINS) for everyone in the household. If you are married-filing-jointly, both spouses must be present to sign the required forms.

In order to prepare an accurate tax return, volunteers will need to see documents showing your income, expenses, and other information. Please be ready with these documents.

Please do not schedule if you don't have these items ready OR you are not eligible for services. If you arrive without the necessary items, volunteers will not be able to prepare your return.

For more information, please refer to these instructions for your appointment.

Filing your own return online:

MyFreeTaxes is an online service brought to you by United Way where you can prepare and file your own federal and state taxes, completely for free. If you get stuck, United Way provides support through phone, email or text to help you complete your return. Use this helpful PDF to organize your documents before you get started preparing your taxes: Tax Organization Worksheet for Using MyFree Taxes Site or Coach (PDF). Click the button below to go to the MyFreeTaxes site where you can find additional details.

Learn more about filing online using MyFreeTaxes

Need help?

Our volunteers prepare tax returns. If you need help with something else tax related, these resources may be helpful to you. Find help on the IRS website or check out IRS Services Guide to learn more about the resources available to individual taxpayers.

Visit the local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center, located at:

  • Kansas City
    30 W. Pershing Rd., Suite 600 (Union Station)
    Kansas City, MO 64108
  • Overland Park
    6717 Shawnee Mission Parkway
    Overland Park, KS 66202

To make an appointment at the IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center, call (844) 545-5640.

Check on the status of your refund:

If you need legal assistance in the Kansas City area, consider the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic at:

 

VITA volunteer tax preparer working with client
Pictured: VITA volunteer preparing a tax return.