The Internal Revenue Service offers a variety of free taxpayer help in Spanish.
By going to IRS.gov/espanol, taxpayers who are more comfortable communicating in Spanish can find links to information about the status of a refund (“Donde esta mi reembolso?”) and a tool (Asistente EITC) to see if they may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, available to many people earning less than $50,270.
Tools like Free File, which offers free tax preparation and electronic filing options for all taxpayers, are also available in Spanish. If your 2012 income was $57,000 or less, you qualify to use the free online tax software. Otherwise, you can use Free Fillable Forms, an option for taxpayers who are comfortable preparing their own tax returns. Visit freefile.IRS.gov and select “Español” to see available options.
YouTube video tax tips and podcasts are also available in Spanish, and can be located by entering the keywords “Centro Multimediatico” in the search box of the I.R.S. Web site.
TeleTax, a toll-free automated telephone service, provides prerecorded tax and refund information. You can find a list of more than 125 TeleTax topics available in Spanish and English in the instructions for Form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ. The service is available 24 hours a day by calling 800-829-4477.
Spanish-speaking taxpayers can also call the I.R.S. for live help. The agency’s toll-free number offers help from Spanish-speaking representatives; call 800-829-1040 and press number 8.
Spanish-speaking taxpayers can also stay connected to the I.R.S. through Twitter, by following @IRSenEspanol.
I.R.S. Taxpayer Assistance Centers offer multilingual assistance. Visitors can get help in more than 150 languages, including Spanish, either in person or from an over-the-phone interpreter. Before going to a center, it’s a good idea to check local hours and available services.
Have you used the I.R.S.’s Spanish options? What was your experience?
Article source: http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/21/getting-i-r-s-help-in-spanish/?partner=rss&emc=rss