Where to get free tax help if you file with an ITIN

This page is about finding free, trusted help to prepare your return. It is general information, not tax or legal advice. For the credits you can claim, see CalEITC and Young Child Tax Credit with an ITIN. For the bigger picture on taxes, banking and credit, see Money and taxes: the complete guide.

Can I get free tax help with an ITIN?

Yes. The IRS runs two free programs through local partners:

• VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). IRS certified volunteers prepare basic federal and state returns for free. The IRS says the program generally serves people who make about $70,244 or less, people with disabilities, and people who do not speak English well. The IRS does not set one income limit for every site. Each site may set its own.
• TCE (Tax Counseling for the Elderly). Free help focused on people 60 and older, especially with pension and retirement questions. Most TCE sites are run by AARP Foundation's Tax-Aide program.

Every VITA and TCE volunteer who prepares returns must pass tax law training, and that training covers keeping your information private. The IRS also requires a second person to check every return before it is filed.

VITA is set up to serve ITIN filers. The IRS checklist for free tax help tells people without a Social Security number to bring their ITIN notice, and the same for a spouse and children (IRS checklist).

But not every site can do every return. What a site can handle depends on which volunteers it has. That is why the first question you ask matters: do you prepare returns for people with an ITIN?

How do I find a free site near East Palo Alto?

Use more than one of these. Sites change every year.

1. IRS locator. Search the VITA and TCE locator by ZIP code, or call 800-906-9887. The IRS says the locator is updated regularly from February through April, so it may show little in the fall.
2. AARP Tax-Aide. Its locator works from January to April. You can also call 888-227-7669. You do not need to be a senior to ask.
3. Call 211 (in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and many others, not all of California). A 211 specialist can tell you which tax sites near you are open this season. See 211: free help finding local services.
4. Call a local group directly. See Who can help? below for groups we checked.

Season matters. Free help is mostly a winter and spring thing. The AARP locator runs January to April, and the IRS updates its locator February through April. Samaritan House in San Mateo, for example, ran from February 3 to April 8, 2026. Book early. Popular sites fill up fast. If you need help outside tax season, Tax-Aid says it offers free help all year, and IRS offices check ITIN papers all year by appointment.

What if I need an ITIN first?

An ITIN is the tax number the IRS gives people who cannot get a Social Security number. If you have never had one, or yours expired, you usually apply on Form W-7 and attach it to your tax return.

You can get help with the W-7 for free in two places:

• A VITA site with a Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA). Some VITA sites have a volunteer who is a CAA. A CAA can check your documents and send your application, so you may not have to mail your passport to the IRS. United Way Bay Area says you do not need to pay to apply for or renew an ITIN at one of its approved sites.
• An IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center. Some IRS offices check ITIN documents in person, for free, by appointment. Call 844-545-5640 to book. Bay Area offices include San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland. The IRS says an appointment may take several weeks to get.

Private Acceptance Agents charge fees, and the amount varies. You do not need to pay one if a free option is open to you.

When does an ITIN expire? If you do not use it on a federal tax return for three years in a row, it expires on December 31 of the third year. You only need to renew it if you will use it on a federal return. For the full steps and the papers to bring, see How to get or renew an ITIN.

What happens at a free tax appointment?

Each site works a little differently. At Samaritan House in San Mateo, for example, the steps last season were:

1. A greeter checks you in and gives you an intake form.
2. A volunteer looks at your papers and prepares your return.
3. A second volunteer reviews the return with you.
4. Your return is filed only after you say it is correct.
5. You get a copy of your filed return.

Keep that copy. You will need it next year, and you may need it for a loan, an apartment or a school form.

What to bring. Bring your ITIN letter, the numbers for your spouse and children, your W-2s or 1099s, your own notes of cash pay, last year's return if you have it, and your bank account and routing numbers for a direct deposit refund. Our full checklist is in What should I bring to free tax help? Print it before you go.

Work for yourself? Some free sites can handle simple self employment income. Bring your records of what you earned and what you spent. See How to pay taxes on self employment income with an ITIN.

Can I file my state return for free on my own?

Yes, if your return is simple. California's free online filing tool, CalFile, lets you claim the California Earned Income Tax Credit, the Young Child Tax Credit and the Foster Youth Tax Credit. To claim CalEITC on CalFile, you must upload a PDF copy of your federal return. Check if you qualify on the CalFile qualifications page (ftb.ca.gov).

Not sure? Let a free tax site do both returns for you. It is free either way.

How do I check a paid preparer?

If you earn too much for VITA, or your taxes are complex, you may need to pay someone. In California, only these people may prepare your return for a fee:

• An attorney
• A CPA (certified public accountant) or their employees
• An IRS enrolled agent (EA)
• A CTEC registered tax preparer (CRTP)

Before you hand over your papers:

1. Ask for their credential. If they are a CRTP, ask for their CTEC number.
2. Look them up with the free CTEC preparer search (ctec.org). Licenses can be suspended without anyone telling you, so check every year.
3. Ask how they charge, and get it in writing.

At the appointment, a real preparer will:

• Sign your return with their name and their IRS preparer number (PTIN). A paid preparer who does not sign is breaking the law.
• Give you a written receipt and a copy of your finished return.

Warning signs. Walk away if a preparer:

• Asks you to sign a blank or half filled return
• Signs your return as "self prepared" or with only a business name, after you paid them
• Cannot show you a credential, or is not in the CTEC search
• Will not tell you how your refund will reach you
• Offers taxes as an extra at a travel agency, insurance office or other business, without a real tax credential

Is it safe to give my information to a tax site?

VITA volunteers are trained to keep your information private. Still, we know many families are worried about how the IRS shares data. In 2025 the IRS made an agreement with immigration authorities, and courts have stepped in since. We cover what is true right now, and how to decide, on its own page: Is it safe to file taxes with an ITIN right now? If you have an open immigration case, talk with a free immigration legal service before you file. See Free legal help in the Bay Area.

Who can help?

These are free programs and nonprofit groups. Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• IRS VITA and TCE: free basic returns. Locator or 800-906-9887. Ask about ITIN returns.
• AARP Tax-Aide: free tax help, January to April. 888-227-7669.
• Tax-Aid (San Francisco, serves the Bay Area): free help for households that earned less than $69,000, in your language, year round, in person or virtually. Call 415-229-9240 or email admin@tax-aid.org. Ask whether they can help with an ITIN return. tax-aid.org
• Samaritan House (San Mateo): free in person tax help in season, at 4031 Pacific Boulevard, San Mateo. Last season ran February 3 to April 8, 2026. Tax line (650) 523-0804. Free tax preparation (samaritanhousesanmateo.org)
• Free ITIN sites on the United Way Bay Area list (by appointment, free ITIN applications and renewals). Full list, including San Francisco and Alameda sites (uwba.org)
• Puente de la Costa Sur: 620 North St., Pescadero (San Mateo County). 650-879-1691. English and Spanish.
• West Valley Community Service: 10104 Vista Dr., Cupertino (Santa Clara County). 408-255-8078.
• Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County: 2625 Zanker Rd. #201, San Jose. Email taxez@ccscc.org. English, Spanish and Vietnamese.
• IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers: free ITIN document check by appointment. 844-545-5640.
• 211, in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties: local help finding open tax sites. 211 does not cover every California county. 211: free help finding local services

Questions people ask

Do I have to be a citizen or have papers to use VITA? No. VITA is for people who need help with their taxes. The IRS lists income, disability and language as the main groups it serves. Immigration status is not on that list.

My spouse has a Social Security number and I have an ITIN. Can we file together? Many couples like this file a joint return. A free tax site can tell you if that is right for you, and can help the spouse without a number apply for an ITIN on the same return. One new rule to know: under the 2025 federal tax law, the federal Child Tax Credit needs a Social Security number valid for work for the child and for you or, on a joint return, your spouse (IRS). See What about the federal Child Tax Credit?

I missed the deadline. Can a free site still help? Often, yes, if it is still open. You may still be able to claim California credits for earlier years. See Can I still file if I missed the deadline?

Can a friend or church member do my taxes for money? Only if they are an attorney, CPA, enrolled agent or CTEC registered preparer. CTEC warns that anyone else who charges you may be working illegally. A friend can help you for free, but you are still responsible for what is on your return.

Is there a script I can use when I call?

Whatever your status, the work you did counts, and filing can bring money back to your family. Take the first step this week. We are cheering you on.