Free Tax Preparation Assistance by AARP

at Gaithersburg Library

Free tax preparation assistance will be available February 9 – April 15, 2026 for low-to-moderate income Montgomery County taxpayers. Services are by appointment only.

Free tax preparation with trained volunteers through the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Program will be available February 9 – April 15, 2026 for low-to-moderate income Montgomery County taxpayers.

Services are by appointment only; scheduling for tax appointments will open on February 2, 2026 and can be made:

• online at www.taxaidemc.info or
• calling 240-777-2577 (Monday – Friday, 9am-4pm).

What to bring to your appointment:

General

• Federal and State return(s) for 2023 and 2024 and 2025. Tax-Aide can prepare and amend returns for 2024, 2023 & 2022. Please note you must schedule an appointment by March 15th to have returns for years prior to 2025 prepared. After March 15th, we will only prepare returns for 2025 taxes. We only amend returns prepared by AARP Tax-Aide.
• Social Security cards for yourself and every individual on your return
• Photo I.D. required for all taxpayers.
• The IRS is phasing out paper check refunds. Bring a voided check or documentation of bank routing number and account number to have any refund(s) deposited into your bank account.
• All letters or other documentation received from IRS concerning your 2024 tax return, issuance of an IRS Identity Protection PIN, or any other correspondence.

Income

• W-2 from each employer
• Unemployment compensation statements
• SSA-1099 Form showing the total Social Security benefits paid to you for the year, or Form RRB-1099, Tier 1 Railroad Retirement benefits
• 1099 Forms reporting interest (1099-INT), dividends (1099-DIV), proceeds from sales (1099-B), as well as documentation showing the original purchase price of your sold assets. Please note that you are limited to only three consolidated brokerage statements.
• 1099-R Form if you received a pension, annuity, or IRA distribution
• 1099-MISC Forms, 1099-K Forms
• Information about other forms of income
• State or local income tax refunds

Payments

• All forms and canceled checks indicating Federal and State income tax paid (including quarterly estimated tax payments)

Deductions
Most taxpayers have a choice of taking either a standard deduction or itemizing their deductions. If you have a substantial amount of deductions, you may want to itemize. You will need to bring the following information:

• 1098 Form showing any home mortgage interest
• A list of medical/dental expenses (including doctor and hospital bills and medical insurance premiums), a list of prescription medicines, costs of assisted living services, and bills for home improvements such as ramps and railings for people with disabilities
• Summary of contributions to charity
• Property Tax bills and proof of payment
• Please note: If you itemized last year, bring all the information on the deductions. Although the standard deduction has increased under the new tax law, it may be advantageous to itemize to minimize both federal and Maryland taxes.
• There’s a new deduction if you are paying off a loan on a new car made in the U.S. that you purchased in 2025. Bring your 2025 loan statement and the vehicle identification number.

Health Insurance

• 1095A Forms if you purchased insurance through the Marketplace (Exchange)

Credits

• Dependent care provider information (name, employer ID, or Social Security number)
• 1098-T and 1098-E Forms (Tuition and Student Loan Interest)
• Along with 1098-T, bring student account statement for the year—downloaded from the Bursar’s Office

Questions about this program? Contact Gaithersburg Library at 240-773-9490.

Library Program Attendance (both virtual and in the branch) is limited to participants within the suggested age range of the program. Children attending an MCPL program under the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Adults attending a program intended for children must have an accompanying child.

Accommodation Requests

People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing should request English-language captioning or sign-language interpretation at least five days before the library-sponsored program they plan to attend. Contact the Assistant Facilities and Accessibility Program Manager at 240-777-0002 with all other accommodation requests.

cm 1.1 01/03/2023

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