Mayor Mamdani Kicks-Off Free Tax Prep Season

Mayor Mamdani Joins DCWP and NYC Health + Hospitals to Promote Free Tax Preparation Services for New Yorkers

In-person and virtual tax preparation services are available in various languages across the city and at NYC Health + Hospitals and MetroPlusHealth sites

Efforts this year will be paired with an expanded crackdown on deceptive practices in the tax preparer industry, ensuring New Yorkers across the city are protected

New York, NY – Today, Mayor Mamdani joined the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), NYC Health + Hospitals and MetroPlusHealth to kick off the 2026 tax season by announcing free, in-person and virtual tax preparation services for New Yorkers as part of DCWP’s NYC Free Tax Prep initiative. Last year 110,000 returns were completed through NYC Free Tax Prep, saving New Yorkers an average of $346 in tax preparation fees per return and approximately $38.2 million citywide. This year, the administration is focused on pairing the free tax preparation program with compliance in the paid tax preparer industry to protect all New Yorkers from unfair fees, sketchy loan products, and other deceptive corporate activity. This will include a citywide sweep of paid tax preparer locations to ensure they are following the law, as well as compliance notices warning paid tax preparers of the City’s ban on illegal overcharging and hidden fees.

The NYC Free Tax Prep program is available to anyone who lives or works in New York City and who earns $97,000 or less annually and files as a family, or those who earn $68,000 or less annually and file as an individual or couple without a dependent – making half of all New Yorkers eligible for the program. Services are available now at over 140 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) sites around the city. Volunteer providers are equipped to connect filers with assistance for their questions about managing student loan debt. New Yorkers can call 311 or visit nyc.gov/TaxPrep and use DCWP’s interactive map to search for the most convenient free tax site near them, including at NYC Health + Hospitals and MetroPlusHealth sites.

NYC Free Tax Prep services include:

• In-Person Tax Preparation: At in-person tax prep sites, knowledgeable Internal Revenue Service (IRS) certified Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) or Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) volunteer preparers help filers complete an accurate tax return. More than 140 sites across all 5 boroughs will be open throughout the season.

• Drop-Off Service: With drop-off service, filers can drop off their tax documents and pick up the completed return later.

• Virtual Tax Preparation: Virtual Tax Preparation is an online service where an IRS-certified VITA or TCE volunteer preparer will video conference with filers to help prepare their tax return using a secure digital system. Filers can submit photos or scans of tax documents to the preparer, confirm their identity, and complete their return by video call with a preparer. Filers will need access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone; a stable internet connection; and the ability to download secure video conference software.

• Assisted Self-Preparation: Assisted Self-Preparation allows filers to complete their tax return online on their own, and an IRS-certified VITA/TCE volunteer preparer will be available by phone or email to answer questions. Filers will need access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone; a stable internet connection; an email address; and their 2024 adjusted gross income or self-select PIN.

NYC Free Tax Prep for Self-Employed New Yorkers:

NYC Free Tax Prep for Self-Employed Filers provides free tax preparation services tailored to the needs of gig workers, freelancers and small business owners who often face barriers to filing taxes and managing financial recordkeeping. In addition to providing annual and quarterly estimated tax filling preparation assistance, workshops and one-on-one consultations help the growing number of New Yorkers who perform gig and freelance work to learn the basics of tax filing and recordkeeping best practices as self-employed filers.

To be eligible for tax preparation services for self-employed filers, New Yorkers must have business expenses of $250,000 or below. New Yorkers can find a site with these specially trained tax preparers by selecting “Self-Employed/Schedule C Assistance” on the NYC Free Tax Prep Map site finder.

NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health Gouverneur

227 Madison Street

Lower Manhattan

February 3, 2026