The Internal Revenue Services has extended the deadline for 2019 tax filing until July 15

Apr 21, 2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Internal Revenue Services has extended the deadline for 2019 tax filing until July 15. For those seeking free assistance filing their taxes, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) is now available virtually to further protect the health and safety of everyone while also complying with CDC guidelines.

The following details outline how to effectively prepare for and submit your 2019 tax information.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Participating in Virtual VITA

  1. Gather all the needed documents and scan or photograph as either jpgs or pdfs:
  2. Photo identification for you and your spouse (if applicable)
  3. Social Security cards or ITIN cards for everyone to be included on the return—both taxpayers and dependents
  4. W-2(s), Interest/Dividend statements, and any other income forms (e.g., 1099s)
  5. 1095-A Health Insurance form from the Marketplace (Obamacare-ACA)
  6. Tuition form (if applicable)
  7. Child care information (provider name, EIN or SSN, amount per child, etc.) if applicable.
  8. Bank information for direct deposit (only for those wanting a direct-deposit refund)
  1. Fill out the intake form. Click here to download a copy of the intake form. Remember that if you do not put a phone number on the intake form, we will have no way to contact you in order to conduct the review, and your return will not be submitted.
  1. Create a ZIP file with all needed documents, including those from step 1 and the intake form.
  2. If you would like to upload each file individually, make sure the name and email submitted are the exact same on each form.
  3. Instructions on how to ZIP files can be found here.
  1. Upload your ZIP file by using the secure file share at https://tinyurl.com/VITAUWUC.

Within two weeks, you will be contacted by a volunteer who will review your tax return either over a phone call or via video conferencing. The volunteer will then submit the return to the IRS and send you a PDF copy of your tax return. According to the IRS, you should expect your return six to eight weeks after filling.

For questions about the status of your return, contact (800) 829-4477.