Program changes may lead some to paying to file a return or not filing at all and missing out on a refund. I sure hate to see even more piled on their plate because of this, Purcell said.
The IRS has run the VITA program for 50 years, along with the Tax Counseling for the Elderly, or TCE program, which provides free tax-filing aid to those over 60 years old. The programs help millions of Americans file each year in 2019, more than 80,000 volunteers prepared 3.5 million federal tax returns, according to the agency.
Last year, VITA s numbers dropped when Covid hit in March, disrupting the tax season. In 2020, the program had about 10,000 fewer volunteers and prepared 1 million fewer tax returns than the year before, the IRS said.