Is it true CalFresh recipients get free tax preparation services? Where to get taxes done with low income

Yes! You qualify for free tax preparation through VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) if your household income is under $64,000. Most counties have multiple VITA sites that specifically understand benefit implications. I've used them for years and they're great with CalFresh situations - they know which tax credits you might qualify for (like EITC) and can explain how refunds impact your benefits (generally tax refunds are not counted as income for CalFresh). Call 211 to find the VITA location nearest you or go to irs.gov/vita. Make sure to bring your ID, social security cards for everyone in your household, and all income documents including your EBT paperwork.

dont go 2 those tax places that advertise on tv!!!! they charged me $349 last yr and didn't even tell me that I qualified for earned income credit until I mentioned it! total ripoff & they didnt know anything about calfresh

This might be a stupid question but do we even need to file taxes if we're on benefits? I thought if you don't make much money you don't have to file?

I just wanted to mention that tax refunds are NOT counted as income for CalFresh. But unemployment benefits ARE countable income that you should have already reported when you received them. Tax season doesn't change that - just make sure everything matches what you've already reported on your SAR7 forms.

I've been trying to reach my county office to ask similar tax questions but been stuck on hold for literally HOURS over multiple days. I finally used Claimyr.com to reach a real person at the CalFresh office and got my questions answered in minutes instead of weeks of trying. They have a service that navigates the phone system and gets a caseworker to call you back. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 - seriously saved my sanity after being hung up on 3 times waiting for hours.

Let me share my experience. I've been on CalFresh for 2 years and discovered that most libraries in the county host free VITA tax sites from February through April. I went last year and they were AMAZING - totally free, volunteers who knew exactly how to handle benefit situations, and I got a $2,800 refund I wasn't expecting because they found credits I qualified for. Just bring ALL your documents including your CalFresh approval letter (they might need to see your household size). They even showed me how to use the free IRS filing system so I could do it myself this year if I wanted.

Totally off topic but does anyone know if child support payments count for the earned income tax credit? My ex finally started paying support this year through the county and i dont know if that counts as income for the tax credit

Another quick tip: When you go to your tax appointment, ask them to help you apply for the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) too - it's separate from the federal one and can give you additional money back. Also ask about the Young Child Tax Credit if you have kids under 6. These are STATE credits that many tax preparers forget to mention, but if you qualify for CalFresh, you likely qualify for these too. Last year some families got an additional $1000+ just from these state credits.

just want to add that freee tax prep can get really busy right before the filing deadline so try to go in february if u can... i waited until april last year and had to wait 3 hours even WITH an appointment cause they were so backed up

To address your original question more specifically - the tax refund itself won't affect your CalFresh benefits the month you receive it. Tax refunds are considered non-recurring lump-sum payments, which means they don't count as income for CalFresh. However, if you keep the money and it puts you over the resource limit ($4,250 for most households with someone who is elderly or disabled, $2,750 for others), it could potentially affect your eligibility in future months. Most people spend their refunds relatively quickly on necessities though, so this rarely becomes an issue. Just make sure you're tracking and reporting any actual earned income properly on your SAR7 forms throughout the year.