BRATTLEBORO — The Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main St., offers free sessions on its public access computers for filing taxes online.
Because the IRS and Vermont Department of Taxes have severely limited their distribution of paper tax forms through libraries, many citizens are turning to online filing, which has many benefits-including, in many cases, a quicker refund.
The library cooperates with the Windham County United Way and its partner agencies to provide access to www.myfreetaxes.com, where citizens with household incomes at or below $60,000 can file their taxes for free.
Filers with household incomes at or below $52,000 may also choose the FreeFile service through the Vermont Department of Taxes. Citizens who don't qualify for free online filing are still welcome to use library computers to access online tax preparation services.
Library staff members will help visitors log in and find filing services using a web browser, but staff cannot provide tax advice, legal advice, or assistance filling out the online forms. Visitors can help themselves to handouts with information about free in-person tax preparation services in the community for citizens in qualifying income brackets.
Tax filers who prefer to use paper forms will find copies of the 1040, 1040A, and 1040 EZ at the library, but there are no take-away instruction booklets this year, and no free Vermont tax forms.
There are reference copies of instructions for both state and federal forms for use in the library only, or tax filers can access instructions online, using the library's computers. The library will also print copies of specific forms via tax agency websites at a cost of 15 cents per page.
The Brooks Memorial Library reference staff will help with questions about tax filing options through the library at 802-254-5290, ext. 109, or asklibrarian@brookslibraryvt.org.