Thursday, February 19, 2015

Speakers highlight Rhode Island Free File program

U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin, and Rhode Island General Treasurer Seth Magaziner were among the featured speakers at a meeting in Providence on February 17 to highlight the benefits of the Rhode Island Free File program.

The Rhode Island Free File program generally allows people with income of $60,000 or less to use a participating tax preparation software program to prepare and file their federal and Rhode Island personal income tax returns online at no charge. (A special page on the Rhode Island Division of Taxation's website lists the participating software programs and includes a summary of each.)

The meeting was held at the Manton Heights Community Center on Salmon Street in Providence. Other speakers included Meg Chevalier of the Internal Revenue Service, Neil Downing of the Rhode Island Division of Taxation, Dave Macklin of the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), Jim Ruda of the Intuit Financial Freedom Foundation, Jennifer Hawkins of the Olneyville Housing Corporation, and Paul Tavares of the Providence Housing Authority.

Rhode Island is one of 20 states, plus the District of Columbia, that have formed state Free File programs. Free File is a public-private partnership between the Internal Revenue Service and tax preparation software companies. (See CCIA’s Free File website for more information about the Free File program.)

U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse at Rhode Island Free File event.