New York City is providing free tax preparation services for many residents and leading an aggressive enforcement campaign against predatory tax preparers as Tax Day approaches, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Tuesday.
Individuals and couples without dependents who made up to $68,000 in income last year and families who made up to $97,000 are eligible to file their tax returns with NYC Free Tax Prep, according to administration officials.
Nearly half of New Yorkers qualify for the program, which connects filers with IRS-certified volunteer accountants who prepare their taxes free of charge.
“In a city where a dignified life is already hard enough to afford, where the cost of rent and child care and transit feel insurmountable …
New York City is providing free tax preparation services for many residents and leading an aggressive enforcement campaign against predatory tax preparers as Tax Day approaches, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Tuesday.
Individuals and couples without dependents who made up to $68,000 in income last year and families who made up to $97,000 are eligible to file their tax returns with NYC Free Tax Prep, according to administration officials.
Nearly half of New Yorkers qualify for the program, which connects filers with IRS-certified volunteer accountants who prepare their taxes free of charge.
“In a city where a dignified life is already hard enough to afford, where the cost of rent and child care and transit feel insurmountable to so many, a few added dollars can make all the difference,” Mamdani said at a press conference Tuesday.
He said the program helps New Yorkers “keep every dollar that they’ve earned and avoid the predatory fees that proliferate throughout so much of the tax industry.”
Roughly 110,000 tax returns were completed through the program last year, saving residents an average of $346 per return, or about $38 million total, according to officials.
The program operates year-round at more than 140 sites citywide, including Health and Hospitals and MetroPlusHealth locations. It offers in-person, drop-off and virtual filing services in multiple languages, and also serves small business owners and self-employed filers, such as freelancers and gig workers.
Sam Levine, commissioner of the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, said the administration is also ramping up monitoring of unscrupulous tax preparers who overcharge customers or charge hidden junk fees.
Tax-filing costs can often be driven up by deceptive practices, like high-interest refund loans marketed as “fast cash,” officials said.
“This tax season, we’re deploying inspectors across New York to ensure tax preparers are following the law,” Levine said at the press conference. “We are issuing warning letters reminding preparers of the city’s ban on illegal overcharging and hidden fees. And we’re urging New Yorkers to ask your preparer for the consumer Bill of Rights before paying anyone to file your taxes.”
Officials said residents can learn more about the program here and visit DCWP’s website to file consumer complaints.