IF YOU’RE PAYING AN E-FILING FEE FOR STATE INCOME TAXES, THERE ARE FREE OPTIONS

A constituent recently asked me to run a bill to remove the fee for filing state income taxes electronically. I thought that was a great idea, so I opened a bill file, but soon learned that it isn’t the state that charges that fee — it’s the vendor. This is what I found out:

The state doesn’t actually impose any fees for filing your income taxreturns electronically; any fees are imposed by the private vendors that offer tax preparation services.

In addition to not filing any fees, Utah offers all taxpayers the option to file an income tax return for free using the Taxpayer Access Point. There are also several other income-based programs that offer free returns. The TaxCommission links to these resources on its website:

Free Federal and State Tax Filing Sources

There are many free filing options available, even for taxpayers with higher incomes. Choose any of these for more information:

• TAP – Taxpayer Access Point at tap.utah.gov: The Utah State Tax Commission’s free online filing and payment system.

• Returns

• Without signing in, you can file these returns, download and import return templates.

• File your current year individual income tax return

• Download return templates

• Import your TC-109, TC-116, or TC-23 template

• File your current renter’s refund (circuit breaker)

• File your County Reimbursement - TC-90CR

• File SALT Report

• Report Low Income Housing Credit Allocation

• Earn it. Keep it. Save it at utahtaxhelp.org: Provides free tax help.

• My Free Taxes at myfreetaxes.com: Sponsored by H&R Block and The United Way.

• The FreeFile Alliance at freefilealliance.org: Partnered with the IRS to help taxpayers e-file.

• Authorized IRS e-file Providers: A service of the IRS.