What we do

Free Tax Help for Chicago Communities

Community Tax Alliance provides free, high-quality tax preparation and community-based tax support for low and moderate-income individuals and families through the IRS's VITA program. Our income limit is $69,000.

The scope of our service is limited to what the IRS allows us to provide via this program. Some of the more common situations are listed below. For a complete scope list, please see IRS publication 4012. Most of our volunteers are advanced certified, but they may not have the special certifications (e.g., Military, International, Foreign Student). If your return requires these certifications, let us know when you make your appointment.

Can prepare

Household income under $69,000
Wages, salaries, tips, etc. (Form W-2)
Interest and dividends (Forms 1099-INT, 1099-DIV)
Retirement income (Forms 1099-R, SSA-1099, RRB-1099, RRB-1099-R, CSA-1099)
Capital gain/loss (Form 1099-B), limited Schedule D
State tax refunds and unemployment benefits (Form 1099-G)
Self-employed income (Forms 1099-NEC, 1099-K), limited Schedule C
Gambling winnings (Form W-2G)
Cancellation of debt (Form 1099-C), limited
Health savings accounts (Form 1099-SA), limited
Adjustments to income and itemized deductions, limited
Education credits (Form 1098-T)
Premium tax credit (Form 1095-A)
Child tax credit, earned income credit, and other miscellaneous credits
Application for individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) (Form W-7)
Sale of Home (Form 1099-S), limited
Prior Year and Amended Returns, limited
Foreign students and scholars, limited (select dates only)

Cannot prepare

Household income over $69,000
Schedule C with net loss, depreciation or business use of home
Complex Schedule D, Capital Gains and Losses
Forms 8615 and 8814 (children’s unearned income)
Form SS-8 (determination of worker status for purposes of federal employment taxes and income tax withholding)
Parts 4 & 5 of Form 8962 (Allocation of Policy Amounts, Alternative Calculation for Year of Marriage)
Returns with casualty/disaster losses

What to bring

For married filing jointly, both spouses must be present
Original photo identification such as driver’s license, school, employer, military, or state ID for you and your spouse (if married)
Original Social Security cards or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number documents for you, your spouse, and dependents
Birth dates for you, spouse, and dependents
A copy of last year’s tax return
All tax documents, including Forms W-2 and 1099
List of income and expenses if self-employed
Form 1095-A (Marketplace health insurance, if applicable
Information for other income
Information for all deductions and credits
Total paid to daycare provider and their tax ID number
For direct deposit of refund, proof of account and bank’s routing number
For prior year returns, copies of income transcripts from IRS (and state, if applicable)

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