2025 tax filing season starts; local assistance available

The Internal Revenue Service opened the 2025 tax filing season Monday and is accepting and processing federal individual tax year 2024 returns.

During Monday’s early morning opening, IRS systems have already received millions of tax returns from across the nation for processing.

The IRS expects more than 140 million individual tax returns for tax year 2024 to be filed ahead of the Tuesday, April 15 federal deadline. More than half of all tax returns are expected to be filed this year with the help of a tax professional, and the IRS urges people to use a trusted tax pro to avoid potential scams and schemes. 

FREE TAX FILING OPTIONS

The IRS offers free online and in-person tax preparation options for eligible taxpayers through IRS Free File, IRS Direct File and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs.

• AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide in Worland. Another program is the AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program. The Worland Senior Center will again host free tax preparation through this program. According to site coordinator Sherry Stottler, each year this site prepares nearly 150 returns, and they’ve been doing it for more than 20 years.

The service is free and is open to the public, not just elderly or low-income clients. Stottler said the site can prepare most returns, though there may be some that are “out of scope” like farms, rentals, some businesses and those with depreciation. They will e-file tax returns or provide paper returns for clients to mail to the IRS.

The preparers are IRS-certified, with each preparer going through 20+ hours of training and testing each year for certification. This year’s preparers are Stottler, Dan Frederick, Terry Livingston and Linda Axtell.

The site will be open Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays at the Worland Senior Center with appointments from 9:30 a.m. through 1 p.m. There will be a 15-minute interview time and then up to a two-hour wait until the return is finished. Clients are asked to be prepared to stay on-site during the tax preparation process.

Documents needed for an appointment include photo identification, social security card, all income sources and other pertinent tax documents for 2024, bank account information, and a 2023 tax return if possible.

The Worland AARP Foundation Tax-Aide site serves the southern Big Horn Basin including Worland, Ten Sleep, Thermopolis, Basin and Greybull areas. The next closest sites for AARP tax preparation are Cody, Riverton/Lander and Sheridan.

Tax preparations will begin Friday, Feb. 7 and continue through Friday, April 11. Appointments are necessary and can be made by calling the Worland Senior Center at 347-3208.

IRS Free File. Taxpayers with income of $84,000 or less last year can use IRS Free File Guided Tax Software now through Oct. 15. IRS Free File Fillable forms, a part of this program, is available at no cost to any income level and provides electronic forms that people fill out and e-file themselves, also at no cost.

•Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) in Cody. The VITA program offers free tax help to people who generally make $67,000 or less, persons with disabilities and taxpayers whose preferred language is not English. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals.

In addition to VITA, the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax help for all taxpayers, particularly those who are 60 and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors.

In the Big Horn Basin, the Park County Library is partnering with VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) to provide free income tax help to individuals, families and persons with disabilities, with an income of $68,000 or less, from Jan. 28 - April 15, 2025, according to Kathlene SoRelle. Appointments are required and available for the following times:

This year, VITA is providing a drop-off service. Taxpayers may drop off their documents in the

secure drop box located inside the Cody Library. After the volunteers prepare the return,

taxpayers will make an appointment to review and sign the documents.

Appointments are available for the following times:

· Tuesdays, 3 - 7 p.m. for one-hour in-person appointments.

· Wednesdays, 3 - 7 p.m. for one-hour in-person appointments.

· Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. for half-hour pickup appointments.

· Saturdays, 11 a.m. - 3 a.m. for one-hour in-person appointments.

Make an appointment by visiting wyomingfreetaxservice.org/cody, by contacting the Cody Library, 307-527-1880, or [email protected].