Code for America makes it easier to file your taxes. If you earned less than $66,000 last year and can upload your tax documents, Get Your Refund can help maximize your tax benefits for free in English or Spanish.
They’ll also help with applications for Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN), Child Tax Credits, and stimulus payments. Trained, IRS-certified volunteers prepare and double-check returns to make sure they’re correct.
If you owe taxes from past years, check out this guide from Documented.
Filing taxes can be helpful for adjusting legal status in the United States by showing financial stability and compliance with tax laws. In addition, tax returns can be used as proof of address, proof of income, and open the door for other tax credits and benefits.
Loan officers also use a tax transcript to check the financial standing, and verify income information of applicants. It can be proof that the applicant is self-sufficient for immigration purposes under the public charge rule.
Could filing a tax return cause trouble?
Until recently the answer to this question was a clear no: unless the IRS had a court order (because, for example, someone had committed a serious crime) it could not report anyone to ICE or any other government agency. Tax information was protected as private by law.
Things may be changing: as of early April 2025 it seems federal immigration authorities may soon gain access to IRS data that would allow them to verify the names and addresses of individuals suspected of being in the U.S. illegally. At the same time, workers can be fined for failing to file a tax return. Consider consulting a lawyer or tax specialist.