WehopethebelowFreeFilebackgroundandoutreachmaterialscanbetterinformyourconstituents,clients,taxpayers,andpartnersaboutthisimportantandinnovativepublic-privatepartnershipduringtheupcomingtaxseason.Weencourageyoutousethisinformationonyoursocialmediaplatformsandinyournewsletters,pressreleases,op-edsorletterstotheeditorandothercommunications.FreeFileisavailableeveryyearatwww.irs.gov/freefile.

Questions?PleasecontactDaveMacklinatdave@washingtonresource.com.

WhatisFreeFile?• FreeFileisapartnershipbetweentheIRSandbrand-nametaxsoftwarecompaniesthathashelpedmore than50millionpeoplesince2003accuratelypreparetheirtaxreturns,capturingallcreditsanddeductions tomaximizetheirrefund,atnocost.

• This allianceenables70percentofall taxpayers– individuals and familieswith an adjusted gross incomeof$66,000 or less for Tax Year 2017– to use the best-known andmost trusted commercial tax preparation softwareproductsforfree.Thereisnocosttothegovernmenttodeliverthisfreeservicetohard-working Americans.

• Becausethetaxsoftwarecompaniesdonatetheirproducts,thisprogramcomesatnocosttothe government,andinfactsavestaxpayerdollarsbyencouraginge-filingversusfilingpaperreturns.

• Thetaxsoftwareproducts–thesamepopularproductspeoplebuyeveryyear–maketaxfilingeasy, walkingtaxpayersthroughtheprocessoffilingonline,cuttingdownonerrorsandhelpingtaxpayersget theirrefundsfaster–withnohiddencostsorfees.

• TaxpayerscanuseFreeFileanywhere–inthecomfortoftheirownhome,oranywherethathasacomputer withInternetaccess.Theyjustvisitwww.irs.gov/freefileandchoosetheproductthat’sbestforthem.

• FreeFilehashelpedtaxpayerssavemorethan$1.3billionintaxpreparationfeessinceitbegan.Andjustas importantly,byenablingpeopletopreparetheirownreturns,FreeFileempowerspeopletolearnmore abouttheirtaxesandtakecontroloftheirfinanciallife.

• FreeFileisacompaniontootherIRSprogramsthatprovidereliabletaxpreparationtothepublicatnocost, especiallytheIRSVolunteerIncomeTaxAssistance(VITA)program.VITAservicesareofferedthrough thousandsofcommunity-basedorganizationsandconnectstaxpayerstoIRS-certifiedvolunteerswhoare trained–anddeeplypassionateabout–preparingreturnsforeligibleindividualsandfamilies.SomeVITAsalso providetaxpayersaccesstoFreeFileproductsattheirsites,designatingcomputers,workstationsand volunteersforcoachingandencouragementasthetaxpayerpreparehisreturnswiththetaxsoftware.

WhoiseligibleforFreeFile?

• FreeFileisavailabletothe70percentofAmericanswhomade$66,000orlessinadjustedgrossincomein2017.

• In2018,twenty-twostatesandtheDistrictofColumbiawillalsohaveStateFreeFileprograms,ensuringtheseeligibleresidentscanfileboththeirfederalandstatetaxreturnsforfree.TheFreeFilestatesare:AZ,AR,DC,GA,ID, IN,IA,KY,MA,MI,MN,MS,MO,MT,NC,ND,NY,OR,RI,SC,VT,VA,andWV.

SampleTwitterContent:

• GetfreetaxhelpthroughtheIRS–DIYwith#FreeFileorin-personwith#VITA.Learnwhatoptionisbestforyouatwww.IRS.gov.

• 70%ofalltaxpayersareeligibletopreparetheirtaxesatnocostthrough#FreeFile.Learnmoreatwww.irs.gov/freefile.

• I’mproudtosupport#FreeFileandhelptaxpayersfiletheirtaxesforfree.Seeifyouqualifyatwww.irs.gov/freefile.

• Low-andmoderate-incomefamiliesmaybeeligibletofiletheirtaxeswith#FreeFile.Learnmoreatwww.irs.gov/freefile.

• #FreeFilesavesbothtaxpayersandthegovernmentmoney. It’sawin-win!Visitwww.irs.gov/freefile.

• #FreeFilesavestaxpayerstimeandmoneyeachtaxseason.Checktoseeifyou’reeligibleatwww.irs.gov/freefile.

SampleFacebookContent:

• TheIRSofferstaxprepandfilingatnocosttomillionsofpeopleeachyear.Forthoseseekingin-personassistance,IRS-certifiedvolunteersareavailableatmorethan12,000VolunteerIncomeTaxAssistance(VITA)sitesnationwidetohelpmaximizeyourrefundfreeofchargewithoutworryingabouthiddenfees.Orforthosewhowanttofilefromhome,checkoutFreeFile–ado-it-yourselfsoftwaresolutionthatprovidesreputableandreliabletaxsoftwareproductsatnocost.Learnwhatprogramisbestforyouatwww.irs.gov.

• 70percentofalltaxpayersareeligibletofiletheirtaxesusingtheFreeFileprogram.VisitIRSFreeFiletolearnmoreandfindoutifyou’reeligible.www.irs.gov/freefile.

• I’mproudtosupportFreeFile,whichhelpseligibletaxpayersfiletheirtaxesatnocost.Learnmore:www.irs.gov/freefile.

• FreeFilehelpslow-and-moderateincomefamiliesfiletheirtaxesatnocostandclaimeverycreditanddeductiontheydeserve.VisitIRSFreeFiletolearnmore:www.irs.gov/freefile.

• FreeFilehelpseligibletaxpayerssavetimeandmoneyduringtaxseason.I’mproudtosupporttheprogramandhelpmyconstituentsfiletheirtaxesonlineatnocost.Followthelinktolearnmore:www.irs.gov/freefile.

• Government,theprivatesectorandcommunitygroupsworktogethertoensurethatFreeFiledoesn’tjustsavetaxfilersmoney–itsavesalltaxpayersmoney!ProcessingelectronicreturnsislessexpensivefortheIRS,soFreeFiledoesn’tcostadimeoftaxpayermoney.VisitIRSFreeFiletolearnmore:www.irs.gov/freefile

• YoucanalsopostthefollowingvideotoyoursocialmediaaccountstoexplainthebenefitsofFreeFile:www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQF2yTq-6no

FORIMMEDIATERELEASE–[DATE]

CONTACT:[ELECTEDOFFICIALCONTACT-PHONENUMBER]

THEFREEFILEPROGRAM:ANEASY,NOCOSTWAYTOFILEYOURTAXES

IRS,brand-namesoftwarecompaniespartnertoprovidenocosttaxfilingservices–maximizingtaxpayers’refundswithnohiddencostsorfees

[CITY,STATE]–[ELECTEDOFFICIAL]todayurgedallresidentstousetheFreeFileprogram,apartnershipwiththeInternalRevenueService(IRS)thatprovidesmostAmericans–atnocost–brand-nametaxsoftwaresotheycanfiletheirtaxesforfreeandreceiveallthecreditsanddeductionsforwhichtheyareeligible.

MillionsoftaxpayershavebenefitedfromFreeFile–apartnershipbetweentheIRS,brand-nametaxsoftwarecompanies,andcommunity-basedorganizations.Since2003,theFreeFileprogramhasbenefitedmorethan50millionpeoplewithanefficient,nocostwaytoprepareandsecurelyfiletheirtaxesonlinewhilemaximizingtheirrefund.FreeFileprovidesaccesstoreputableandreliablesoftwarethatusesasimpleinterview-styleprocesstohelptaxpayersidentifyallthecreditsanddeductionsforwhichtheyareeligible.Thisdo-it-yourselfsolutionallowstaxpayerstouseFreeFileanywhere–inthecomfortoftheirownhome,oranywherethathasacomputerwithInternetaccess.

FreeFileisacompaniontotheIRS’otherprogramsthatprovidereliabletaxpreparationtothepublicatnocost,especiallytheIRSVolunteerIncomeTaxAssistance(VITA)program.VITAservicesareofferedthroughthousandsofcommunity-basedorganizationsandconnectstaxpayerstoIRS-certifiedvolunteerswhoaretrained–anddeeplypassionateabout–preparingreturnsforindividualsandfamilies.SomeVITAsalsoprovidetaxpayersaccesstoFreeFileproductsattheirsites,designatingcomputers,workstationsandvolunteersforcoachingandencouragementasthetaxpayerpreparehisreturnswiththetaxsoftware.

“[INSERTCUSTOMQUOTE],”said[ELECTEDOFFICIAL].

FreeFilesavestaxpayers’moneyattaxtimebyhelpingthemavoidtaxpreparationfeesandensuringtheirreturnisaccuratelycompleted.SinceFreeFiledebuted,taxpayershavesavedmorethan$1.3billionintaxpreparationcosts.Atthesametime,becausethesetaxsoftwarecompaniesdonatetheirproductstotheIRS,thisprogramcomesatnocosttothegovernment,andinfactsavesmoneybypromotinge-filingversuspaperreturns.

Eachyear,tensofthousandsofAmericansreceiveasmallerrefundbecausetheyfailtoclaimalltheireligiblecreditsanddeductions.FreeFilehelpscombatthisproblem,withnohiddencostsorfees.Theprogramalsoempowerstaxpayerstolearnmoreabouttheirtaxesandtakecontroloftheirfinanciallives.About70percentofalltaxpayers–ingeneral,thoseearning$66,000orlessin2017–qualifyforthisprogram.Twenty-twostatesplustheDistrictofColumbiaalsohavestateFreeFileprograms,makingiteasyforeligibletaxpayerstofileboththeirfederalandstatetaxreturnonlineatnocost.

ToseeifyouqualifyandlearnmoreabouttheFreeFileprogram,visit:www.irs.gov/freefile.