Code for America Opens GetYourRefund for 2026 Tax Filing Season

Following the start of the 2026 tax filing season, Code for America today announced that GetYourRefund—its free virtual tax filing service—will open for the seventh year. Originally launched in 2020, GetYourRefund enables low- and moderate-income households to access high-quality online tax filing assistance. Code for America offers the service with the support of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and in partnership with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) organizations across the country.

The free, high-quality tax assistance provided by GetYourRefund is expected to see increased use due to recent federal tax policy changes that are increasing filing costs and complexity for American families. In recent months, the IRS and Treasury discontinued Direct File, the popular free filing service built by the IRS. Recent tax law changes to tips and overtime are deceivingly complex and significantly increase the risk of filing errors. GetYourRefund’s IRS-certified tax preparers and suite of free filing options stand ready to help taxpayers navigate these changes so they can file accurately, for free, and use the full value of their refund to benefit their family (rather than stuff the pockets of for-profit tax corporations).

Code for America will make three tax filing resources available to taxpayers as part of its GetYourRefund effort this year:

• File with Help: Taxpayers with incomes of up to $69,000 can have their returns prepared for them for free by an IRS-certified tax preparer. Filers can have their current and prior year returns completed for them, covering tax years 2023 through 2025.

• File Myself: Taxpayers with incomes of up to $89,000 can use free online software to file their federal and state returns, and get support from GetYourRefund’s IRS-certified tax preparers when they need it. 

• VITA site locator tool: Taxpayers with incomes of up to $69,000 who prefer in-person tax filing assistance can use a VITA site locator tool to find a convenient location. IRS-certified tax preparers are available at each site.

GetYourRefund makes it possible for eligible filers to claim transformative federal and state tax benefits like the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit—one of our nation’s largest anti-poverty programs benefiting nearly 26 million people. The cash families receive via tax credits and refunds allows them to cover their basic needs, better handle emergencies, and ultimately, move toward financial stability.

Code for America has partnered with 100 organizations across the country to ensure GetYourRefund’s free tax filing services are available to people in every state and Washington, D.C. To date, the service has helped 345,000 people file their taxes and claim more than $612,000,000 in refunds while saving nearly $39,000,000 in filing fees. This year, GetYourRefund has made significant product improvements, with the goal of making the filing process even easier for both clients and VITA partners.