IRS Tax Tip 2014-33, March 14, 2014

Tax credits help reduce the taxes you owe. Some credits are also refundable. That means that, even if you owe no tax, you may still get a refund.

Here are five tax credits you shouldn’t overlook when filing your 2013 federal tax return:

1. The Earned Income Tax Credit is a refundable credit for people who work but don’t earn a lot of money. It can boost your refund by as much as $6,044. You may be eligible for the credit based on the amount of your income, your filing status and the number of children in your family. Single workers with no dependents may also qualify for EITC. Visit IRS.gov and use the EITC Assistant tool to see if you can claim this credit. For more see Publication 596, Earned Income Credit.
2. The Child and Dependent Care Credit can help you offset the cost of daycare or day camp for children under age 13. You may also be able to claim it for costs paid to care for a disabled spouse or dependent. For details, see Publication 503, Child and Dependent Care Expenses.
3. The Child Tax Credit can reduce the taxes you pay by as much as $1,000 for each qualified child you claim on your tax return. The child must be under age 17 in 2013 and meet other requirements. Use the Interactive Tax Assistant tool on IRS.gov to see if you can claim the credit. See Publication 972, Child Tax Credit, for more about the rules.
4. The Saver’s Credit helps workers save for retirement. You may qualify if your income is $59,000 or less in 2013 and you contribute to an IRA or a retirement plan at work. Check out Publication 590, Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs).
5. The American Opportunity Tax Credit can help you offset college costs. The credit is available for four years of post-secondary education. It’s worth up to $2,500 per eligible student enrolled at least half time for at least one academic period. Even if you don’t owe any taxes, you still may qualify. However, you must complete Form 8863, Education Credits, and file a tax return to claim the credit. Use the Interactive Tax Assistant tool on IRS.gov to see if you can claim the credit.Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education, has the details.

Before you claim any tax credit, be sure you qualify for it. Find out more about these credits on IRS.gov. You can also get free IRS forms and publications on IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM(800-829-3676).

Additional IRS Resources:

• Schedule 8812, Child Tax Credit
• Tax Benefits for Education: Information Center

IRS YouTube Videos:

• Earned Income Tax Credit – English | Spanish | ASL
• Education Tax Credits – English | Spanish | ASL

IRS Podcasts:

• Earned Income Tax Credit – English | Spanish
• Education Tax Credits – English | Spanish

IR-2014-28, March 13, 2014

WASHINGTON — More than 27 million taxpayers have filed their tax returns from home computers so far this year, an increase of almost 6 percent compared to last year.

These 27 million taxpayers used a variety of software products to prepare and e-file their own returns. However, the IRS reminds people that they can prepare and e-file their federal tax returns online for free through Free File at IRS.gov. Free File has an option for almost everyone, either through brand-name software or online fillable forms.

The Free File program is a public-private partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance, LLC. The Alliance is a consortium of 14 leading tax software providers who make their products available exclusively at IRS.gov. All Free File members meet security requirements and use the latest in encryption technology to protect taxpayer information.

Seventy percent of taxpayers are eligible for easy-to-use Free File software because their income was $58,000 or less in 2013. People who made more than $58,000 and who are comfortable preparing their own returns can use Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic version of IRS paper forms.

Each Free File software provider sets its own criteria for eligibility, generally based on income, age, state residency or military service. However, taxpayers can quickly find a match by using the “help me find Free File software” tool. Or, taxpayers can review all providers and their offers. Some software providers also offer state tax software and display on their landing pages whether it is free or if there is a fee.

Free File Fillable Forms is more basic, similar to completing a paper Form 1040. The program performs some math calculations and provides links to some IRS publications. It also can be filed electronically for free. However, it does not support any state tax returns.

The total number of individual income tax returns e-filed so far this year is 62.2 million. E-file includes both returns filed from home computers and returns e-filed by professional tax return preparers.  [The filing season statistics table follows.]

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