For more than 20 years, DCWP has helped tens of thousands of New Yorkers get their full tax refund at no cost to them through our NYC Free Tax Prep program, filing over 1.5 million returns, and saving New Yorkers more than $229 million in potential filing fees.
But as more of our neighbors pursue freelance careers and entrepreneurship opportunities – and as we celebrate the city reaching a new record of 4.7 million jobs – we have to make sure the services we offer evolve with the times.
That’s why our beloved tax prep program is expanding to meet the unique needs of our self-employed community, who often face barriers to filing taxes and managing financial recordkeeping.
NYC Free Tax Prep for Self-Employed Filers, announced just last week, will help the growing number of New Yorkers who perform gig and freelance work to learn the basics of tax filing and recordkeeping best practices as self-employed filers through workshops and one-on-one consultations.
And our trusted IRS-certified VITA/TCE volunteer tax preparers at organizations across the five boroughs will help self-employed New Yorkers with both their annual tax filings and quarterly-estimated tax filings – something I know firsthand can be a great challenge for so many of our self-employed neighbors.
In fact, my husband Enrico is self-employed. As a professional tennis instructor, Enrico serves aces on the court, but when it comes time to file his quarterly-estimated taxes, it’s all too easy to make an unforced error or two without the help of an expert tax preparer.
All self-employed New Yorkers are eligible for our workshops and consultations, but only those who make up to $59,000 as single filers, or $85,000 for families, and have business expenses under $250,000 are eligible for free annual and quarterly estimated tax preparation services.
Being self-employed does not mean you have to figure everything out on your own. Our trained volunteers are ready to help you today. Call 311 or visit nyc.gov/TaxPrep to find a site near you that offers Self-Employed/Schedule C Assistance.
Vilda Vera Mayuga is the Commissioner for the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP). Learn more about DCWP’s NYC Free Tax Prep program at nyc.gov/TaxPrep.
