Accessible Tax Solutions
Forms and publications
There are several options for filing your taxes online. In 2002, the IRS signed a three-year partnership agreement with several commercial and private sector companies and members of the tax software industry to offer free tax preparation and electronic filing services. Eligible taxpayers may prepare and file their federal income tax returns online software provided by the Free File Alliance companies. There are a few caveats to be aware of: the partnership doesn't cover filing free state taxes, and the IRS does not specifically endorse any of the partners, although each is required to meet certain standards, and must adhere to all federal laws regarding taxpayer privacy.
The most well-known tax filing services, H&R Block and TurboTax, are part of the Free Alliance program, but unfortunately, their websites are not fully accessible. Myrna Votta, an employee of Lighthouse International who is blind and who regularly assesses software and websites for accessibility, found accessibility issues with both websites. According to Votta, a truly proficient JAWS user could, "with a great deal of patience, trial and error," use the sites to file taxes online. "However, I wouldn't," she said.
Another option: TaxAct. Another member of the Free File Alliance, TaxAct allows users to submit both federal and state income tax returns over the Internet. Mike Golfo is an employee at Lighthouse Internation. This is his preferred method of submitting his taxes. Visually impaired, Golfo says he has been using it for a few years now and is perfectly comfortable navigating the different forms and menus. It's free for the first federal return; $7.95 for the state return.
For more information, visit the TaxAct website.
Of course, you can always go straight to the source. The IRS website, as a government website, must comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires that all information provided by the government to the general public must able to be accessed by people with disabilities. Hundreds of the most widely-used tax forms and publications with full text descriptions are available for download. Most of these files are in ASCII text format, some are in HTML, and all have been transcribed for braille. In addition, many of the top 100 downloaded forms are available in accessible PDF format and can be filled out online. If you have the full Adobe Acrobat suite, you can save the filled-in forms to your computer or other storage medium. If you have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, you will only be able to fill out and print the forms, not save them electronically.
For more information, go to the Forms and Publications section of the IRS website.
Tax payment
The Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) is a free tax payment system from the U.S. Department of Treasury. With this system, you have the option of making tax payment online through the Internet or by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are two primary payment methods to choose from: EFTPS-Direct or EFTPS-Through a Financial Institution. If you opt for EFTPS-Direct, you will need to instruct EFTPS to move funds from your account to the Treasury's account on the date you indicate.
With EFTPS-Through a Financial Institution, you will need to instruct your financial institution to electronically move funds from your account to the Treasury's account. Check with your financial institution first to learn if they offer this service, how much it costs, and if you are eligible to use it.
You must first enroll to participate in either EFTPS. For more information on EFTPS, visit the EFTPS home page or call EFTPS customer service at:
- (800) 555-4477 or (800) 945-8400
- (800) 945-8900 or (800) 733-4829 (TDD Hearing-Impaired)
- (800) 945-8600 or (800) 244-4829 (Espanol)