The Hudson Valley C.A.$.H. Coalition, powered by AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, is proud to offer free, reliable tax preparation assistance for the 2025 Filing Season.
Who We Serve:
- Low-to-Moderate Income Filers.
- No age or AARP membership restrictions.
- Service is provided by AARP Foundation Tax-Aide IRS-Certified Volunteers.
Important Service Rule:
Filers must remain at the tax site for the duration of their appointment (typically 60-90 minutes).
How to Book Your Appointment
Service is provided by appointment only.
1. Call for Appointment
United Way Help Line 211 or 1-800-899-1479
Appointment scheduling starts January 15, 2026, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday-Friday.
2. Callback Option
If you experience a long wait, leave your name and number for a callback.
We strive to call you back within 24 hours. Please answer your phone (Call may be coming from an unidentified caller).
Tax sites open February 2nd.
If you have been a victim of identity theft, please remember to bring your updated IP PIN number. We will not be able to file your tax return without this. You would have received an updated number in the mail in December of ‘25.
Preparation Process: You Must Prepare in Advance
To ensure your appointment goes smoothly, you must obtain and complete a Pre-Appointment Packet and gather all required documents before your scheduled time.
At Your Appointment:
- Volunteer Review: An IRS-certified Tax-Aide volunteer will review your documents and conduct a short interview using the required IRS intake form.
- Preparation & Quality Check: Your tax information will be input into the IRS software. A second certified Tax Counselor will Quality Review the entire return.
- Final Review & E-File: The Tax Counselor will review the completed return with you and get your permission to e-file. You must remain on-site during this entire process.
Get Your Required Pre-Appointment Packet
The packet includes a complete listing of all required documents (which must be printed). The Tax Counselors will not view large amounts of required tax information from your phone.
Pick Up a Printed Copy
Packets will not be available at distribution locations until January 27, 2026.
Available at central locations (listed below):
Dutchess County
- Adriance Library
- Boardman Library
- Blodgett Library
- East Fishkill Town Hall
- Fishkill Recreation Center
- Grinnell Library
- Dover Library
- Hyde Park Library
- Howland Library
- Millerton Library
- Pleasant Valley Library
- Red Hook Library
- Tivoli Library
- Poughkeepsie Plaza
Putnam County
- Patterson Library
- Brewster Library
- Kent Library
Orange County
- Chester Library
- Cornwall Library
- Goshen Library
- Greenwood Lake Library
- Middletown Mulberry House
- Weekdays, 9 AM - 12 PM
- Montgomery Town Hall
- Townhall Hours
- Newburgh Library
- Pine Bush Library
- Port Jervis Library
- Warwick St. Stephen Community Center
- Weekdays, 9 AM - 3 PM
Need help?
If you have difficulty with packet pick-up, email Linda Eddy at leddy@dutchesscap.org.
New This Year
IRS - No Paper Refund Checks
IRS will not be issuing paper refund checks. Refunds will be delivered by direct deposit or other secure electronic methods.
You will need to present your banking information, including
- Bank Name
- Bank Routing Number
- Your Account Number
If you do not have a bank account, helpful resources include:
- https://www.fdic.gov/getbanked
- https://mycreditunion.gov/
- Prepaid Debit Cards
- Verify the card accepts direct deposits: Contact your card provider to ensure they accept IRS direct deposits and to obtain the correct routing and account numbers.
- Ensure name match: The name on your tax return must exactly match the name on the prepaid card account. The IRS will reject deposits into accounts not in your name or your spouse's name (for a joint return).
- Be aware of limits: No more than three electronic refunds can be deposited into a single financial account or prepaid debit card in a year. Some prepaid cards may have activation, monthly ATM withdrawal or inactivity fees that could reduce the amount of your refund.
For this filing season, payments to the IRS can be made via direct withdrawal or personal check.
Supplemental Worksheets
These are not included in the main packet. Download and print only if they apply to you:
Itemization
Do you have a small business or are you self-employed?
Drive for Uber/Grubhub/etc.?
Did you or your dependents incur any educational expenses?
New Tax Deductions for Filing Year ‘25 (Download Separately):
These are not included in the main packet. Download and print only if they apply to you:
Qualified Tips Deduction Worksheet - Tips on W-2
Qualified Tips Deduction Worksheet -Tips for Self-Employed
Qualified Overtime Deduction Worksheet
Qualified Passenger Vehicle Loan Interest Worksheet
Out-of-Scope Returns (We Cannot Prepare)
The IRS does not allow AARP Foundation Tax-Aide to complete certain complex returns. Please review this list carefully. You are responsible for ensuring your return is in scope.
We will not be able to prepare your tax return if it involves:
- Residency in another state for the year being filed
- Resident of New York with income from another state (Exception: CT, PA, or NJ income).
- Rental income (including Airbnb) in 2025 or any year being filed.
- Bankruptcy was declared in 2025 or any year being filed.
- Own business with: business loss, expenses exceeding $50,000, or inventory.
- Claiming expenses for a home office
- Digital asset (Cryptocurrency) exchanges.
- Claiming the Electric Vehicle Tax Credit.
- Claiming a tax credit for Solar Panels or Geothermal Systems.
- Review all other possible exceptions in Out Of Scope Poster
Track Your Refund
Use the IRS’s Where’s my refund to check the status of your refund.
Alternative Tax Preparation Options
If your return is Out-of-Scope or you prefer to self-prepare, please check out these free resources:
- IRS Free File: https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/
- IRS Direct File: https://www.irs.gov/filing/irs-direct-file-for-free