Money Smart Teen Topic

Taxes

You found a Job and you are getting paid, Now it is time to understand how taxes work. What are the benefits of taxes? Learn all about a W2.

Online Free Tax Preparation – Do it Yourself

MyFreeTaxes is an easy, safe, and free way to file your taxes online. Available for residents in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, you can file your federal and state returns for free. Just click File For Free and you’ll be taken to the secure H&R Block software that has powered MyFreeTaxes since 2009. United Way promotes MyFreeTaxes to help support the health, education, and financial stability of every person in every community, and maximizing your tax refund is a key step towards that goal. If you earned less than $66,000 last year you qualify to file for free with MyFreeTaxes from United Way. (Information from website)

Free Tax Preparation

Other Free Tax Preparation Options

Understanding Taxes you Pay

Every employer engaged in a trade or business who pays remuneration, including noncash payments of $600 or more for the year (all amounts if any income, social security, or Medicare tax was withheld) for services performed by an employee must file a Form W-2 for each employee (even if the employee is related to the employer) from whom:

  • Income, social security, or Medicare tax was withheld.
  • Income tax would have been withheld if the employee had claimed no more than one withholding allowance or had not claimed exemption from withholding on Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate.

IRS W2 form instructions

How to fill out your W2 form

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) – Locate free sites 

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who generally make $60,000 or less, persons with disabilities, the elderly and limited English-speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns.

  • Next Step KC operates several local IRS-sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) tax preparation sites in the Kansas City area. VITA offers free tax help to hard-working taxpayers with incomes of $60,000 and below who cannot prepare their own tax returns. Call United Way 2-1-1 or 816-474-5112 for referrals to VITA sites and to schedule appointments for certain sites during tax season.

What To Bring
Before going to a VITA site, see Publication 3676-B for services provided and check out the What to Bring page to ensure you have all the required documents and information our volunteers will need to help you. *Note: available services can vary at each site due to the availability of volunteers certified with the tax law expertise required for your return.

Understanding Taxes Videos

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