• IRS Free File offers free guided tax preparation for lower-income taxpayers and free electronic fillable forms for all taxpayers.
• Many online tax preparation software companies offer free tax-filing tiers.
• The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs offer free, in-person tax filing help.

The start of a new year also means the start of a new tax season.

If you're looking to minimize the cost of filing this year, you're in the right place. Many programs and companies offer free filing services. That said, your tax situation needs to be pretty simple to qualify.

Here's a closer look at four popular ways to file taxes for free, how they work and who qualifies.

The IRS Free File program allows qualifying taxpayers to file their taxes for free using guided tax preparation software from the IRS's network of trusted partners. To qualify, your adjusted gross income (AGI) must be $79,000 or less. AGI is your gross income minus a specific list of deductions you take before claiming the standard deduction or itemizing deductions.

If you're interested, you can visit the IRS Free File: Guided........

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