Need help filing your taxes? Centers across Western Washington offer free help

Households earning $54,000 or less can receive free tax preparation help from 75 volunteer-staffed centers throughout Western Washington.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites reopen this month, where volunteer tax preparers will prepare and file taxes for households that make $54,000 per year or less.

More than 1 million Washingtonians qualify for free tax help, according to a news release from Goodwill of the Olympics & Rainier Region.

Assistance is also available for families making up to $64,000 a year at some larger centers, including Goodwill’s Milgard Work Opportunity Center, 714 S. 27th St., Tacoma. This center will be open 3:30 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays starting Jan. 24. KeyBank is sponsoring a Saturday tax preparation event Feb. 4 at the Milgard center, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. To schedule an appointment, call 253-573-6832.

People should bring W-2 forms, Social Security cards for yourself, spouse and children, unemployment forms, proof of child care payments, a photo ID, last year’s tax return and a bank account and routing number for direct deposit of your tax refund.

Even if a family doesn’t make enough money to owe taxes, they can get a refund from the Internal Revenue Service if they have children, through the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Parents whose children are in college, even if the children are age 18 or older, should file tax forms. In many cases, students cannot qualify for federal aid, including grants and low-interest loans, without a completed parental tax return.

For information about specific tax preparation centers, dates and hours of operation, log on to irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep and type in your zip code to find a center near you. Tax forms are due to the IRS by April 15.

This story was originally published January 23, 2017 at 10:09 PM with the headline "Need help filing your taxes? Centers across Western Washington offer free help."