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Our friends at Urban Upbound are providing FREE Tax Filing.

Appointments in person are limited. You can call 718-784-0877 press 7 to schedule.

You can also start to file online with the help of a preparer over the phone Click here to go to their online site.
Beginning February 12th, the IRS will start accepting tax filings. The faster you file, the faster you can get a refund – that is, money back – if you qualify. The deadline – the date by which you must file – is April 15th, 2021. If you think you cannot make it by the deadline, then you can request an extension so you can file by October 15th, 2021.
 
QUICK TIPS!
  1. Refunds: Because of the loss of income in 2020, you may qualify this year for refunds for the first time. Make sure your tax preparer is aware of all refunds. See below for more info.
  2. You can claim any Stimulus Checks that you, or your dependents, did not receive in 2020 or 2021.
  3. If you had a baby in 2020, or got shared custody, you can claim stimulus check when you file your taxes. Remember, the stimulus checks were issued according to 2019 taxes. So if your dependents changed in 2020, now is the time to inform the IRS and claim your money.
  4. If you have adult dependents on your 2019 taxes who want to file on their own for 2020, they can also claim their stimulus check when they file their 2020 taxes.
  5. Unemployment benefits are taxable. You must include the income even if you had your taxes taken out during the year.
  6. You should think about including your bank account information when you file so that you can get any refunds from the taxes as well as future stimulus checks directly deposited to your account. Congress will be voting on more stimulus checks this year.
  7. The only way to give the IRS your banking information is when you file taxes, so now is your chance if you missed it in the past.
  8. If you use a service to file your taxes, make sure they give your bank account information to the IRS. Many services use their own account. They get the refund from the IRS and then deposit it to you, adding an extra step before you get your money directly. 
  9. Remember, the IRS will start accepting tax returns only on Feb. 12th. If a preparer tells you they can get you a refund early – it is not true. 
  10. If you file with the IRS on the internet AND give your bank account information, within 24 hours after filing, you can check the status of your refund with the IRS!
 
We all start out owing taxes. We can reduce the taxes we owe by including “deductions” (or deductibles) and tax credits. Deductions are expenses, such as gasoline or lease/mortgage/license fees, you can subtract from your income before you calculate your tax. Tax credits are programs set up by the city, state and federal government. Tax credits are an amount of money you can subtract from taxes that you owe. Some tax credits are refundable. That means, if after you subtract the credit from the amount you owe and you have money left over, then that becomes a refund. A Refund is money the IRS owes you.  Tax liability or tax burden is money you owe to the IRS.
 
Here is what NYC says about how tax credits can affect public benefits:
In most cases, claiming tax credits does not affect eligibility for benefits like the Food Stamp Program, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or public or subsidized housing. These credits are not considered income when determining eligibility for these programs, but they may be counted as a resource for some programs if the money is not spent within a certain time frame.   https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dca/downloads/pdf/consumers/Tax-Credit-Fast-Facts.pdf;
 
UNEMPLOYMENT INCOME:
You must pay taxes on unemployment income. You will need Form 1099-G from the Department of Labor when you file taxes. You can get the form online or by calling the DOL to request it:
  • Online Account: Log on to nys.gov and go to the same page where you go to certify every week. NY.Gov ID> DOL Services > Unemployment Insurance > Select, Unemployment Services > The next page is the page where you would go to Certify Weekly Benefits. Scroll down that page until you see information on, 1099-G. You can download and print the form.
  • Call the Telephone Claims Center at 888-209-8124. After you select your language, follow the prompts to obtain your 1099 form. You will need the PIN you established when you filed your claim.
 
CLAIMING STIMULUS CHECKS: IRS RECOVERY REBATE
If you or a dependent did not receive your stimulus checks, or you have a new dependent in 2020, then this is your time to claim that money. If you have an elder who was your dependent in 2019 but is filing taxes on their own in 2020, they may be eligible to claim a stimulus check on their own. Talk with your tax preparer.
 
If you received your stimulus checks, then you do not need to worry about this part. 
 
Stimulus checks were issued two times: $1,200 per adult filer or head of household and spouse plus $500 for each child dependent 16 years and younger; and then $600 for each adult filer and child dependent 16 and younger.
 
To file for this money, you must file for the “IRS Recovery Rebate”
 
First, check to make sure the check is not in the mail or has not been deposited in the wrong account:
  1. Go to IRS website Get My Payment to track your payments from the IRS
  2. If you will be getting your payment by regular mail, you can also download a free App from the Post Office to track your mail: Called Informed Delivery, the mail-tracking service automatically scans your letters and will send you an email Monday to Saturday when mail has been scanned in your name so you know to expect delivery. You can set it up right now to track your letter from the IRS. You can keep the service, or cancel it anytime with the Post Office.
 
If you see that the stimulus money is not on the way, then get ready to file for your “Recovery Rebate.” 
 
  1. Check your 2019 taxes for your adjusted gross income
  2. Find the IRS letter you received in 2020 and in 2021 telling you how much you were eligible to get in stimulus checks.
  3. If you do not have the letter, you can set up an account online with the IRS to get it, or call the IRS: IRS Assistance Center 800-829-1040 OR IRS Stimulus Payments Hotline 800-919-9835
 
To set up an online account with the IRS, have this information ready:
  • Email address
  • Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN)
  • Tax filing status and mailing address
  • One financial account number linked to your name:
  • Credit card – last 8 digits (no American Express, debit or corporate cards) or
  • Student loan – (Enter the student loan account number provided on your statement. The account number may contain both numbers and letters. Do not include any symbols.) Additionally, we can't verify student loans issued by Nelnet. or
  • Mortgage or home equity loan or
  • Home equity line of credit (HELOC) or
  • Auto loan
  • Mobile phone linked to your name (for faster registration) or ability to receive an activation code by mail
 
For more information on set-up, click here.
 
Go here to create the account: 
Go to this IRS page and select the blue button, Create an Account. Click here.
 
If you owe taxes, the IRS will deduct the amount from the stimulus checks you are owed. If you do not owe 2020 taxes, then the IRS will send you the stimulus checks as part of your 2020 rebate.
 
DRIVING AND OTHER INCOME:
Get your 1099’s from Uber, Lyft, Via, Juno and any other bases. Yellow and Green Cab Drivers: Print out your annual statements from Arro, Curb since your 1099-K only states credit card payments.
 
EXPENSES (DEDUCTIONS):
Show your tax preparer your expenses so they can include proper deductions. You can download this worksheet on driver expenses, including detailed list of vehicle maintenance. Click here for the Worksheet, or come by the office for a print out.
 
TAX CREDITS:
This year, you may be eligible for some tax credits for the first time because of the loss of income in 2020. There are also new tax credits created by Congress as part of the stimulus bills. Make sure your tax preparer is up to date on all city, state and federal tax credits. Here is some basic information to help you ask the right questions for yourself:
 
There are two types of tax credits:
·       Non-Refundable Tax Credit will help you reduce (bring down) your taxes.
·       A Refundable Tax Credit can help you get a bigger Refund.
 
Examples of tax credits:
  1. Recovery Rebate Credit: This is the Stimulus Checks. If you did not get the money owed to you https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit
  2. Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC),
  3. New York City Child Care Tax Credit (NYC CCTC),
  4. Child Tax Credit,
  5. Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC),
  6. Education Benefits: American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) and Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC)
  7. NEW! Paid Sick Leave or Paid Family Leave as part of stimulus bills
 
Ask your tax preparer or visit irs.gov to learn more
Earned Income Tax Credit
EITC is considered one of the most important tax credits for people with income. It can be anywhere between $538 if you have no children and $6,660 if you have 3 or more children. To qualify for the credit, the IRS looks at your Adjusted Gross Income, AGI.

AGI is your net income minus certain deductions that the IRS allows for everyone. For example: Alimony paid, half of self-employed tax, student loan interest deduction, tuition and fees; plus more. (AGI is not the same as net income. Net income is your gross income - work expenses. AGI is your income after net income - other general deductions.)

Below is the IRS requirement for AGI depending on the number of children (between 0 to 3 or more) and your filing status (single or married) for EITC for 2020 taxes:
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NYC Child Care Tax Credit
The NYC Child Care Tax Credit (NYC CCTC) is a tax benefit to help families pay for child care. Parents and guardians who earn $30,000 or less and pay for child care for children age 4 or younger may be eligible. This local tax credit is worth up to $1,733.
 
NEW! Paid Sick Leave or Paid Family Leave as part of stimulus bills
Drivers who receive 1099’s and are filing as self-employed may be eligible for up to $10,000 in tax credits under Paid Sick Leave or Paid Family Leave for time unable to work between April 1, 2020, and ending on March 31, 2021.
 
Education Credits and Deductions
If you or your dependent is a student, you may be eligible for education credits and deductions. Click here for more on the IRS website.
 
TRACKING YOUR REFUNDS
When you complete your tax return, you will be able to calculate how much refund is due to you. To check the status of when the IRS will send you the money, you can use the IRS tool, “Get Refund Status” 
 
You can check on your Refund status 24 hours after e-filing or 4 weeks if filing by mail.
 
To use the Get Refund Status, you will need to enter your social security number and how much refund is due to you:
 
Where do I get the Refund Amount? Answer:
  • If you filed a Form 1040, the Refund Amount is shown on Line 35a.
  • If you filed a Form 1040NR, the Refund Amount is shown on Line 35a.
  • If you filed a Form 1040PR, the Refund Amount is shown on Line 14a.
  • If you filed a Form 1040SS, the Refund Amount is shown on Line 14a.

Click here to go to the IRS “Get My Refund Status”
New York Taxi Workers Alliance | 31-10 37th Avenue, Suite 300 (3rd Floor)
Long Island City, NY 11101 | 718-706-9892 | [email protected] | NYTWA.org