Illinois Non-Profit Helping Residents File Their Taxes for Free

Tax season is here and maximizing your tax refund is likely a top priority. One Illinois non-profit is offering free tax assistance for Illinois residents who qualify.

How Long Has Ladder Up Been Offering Financial Resources?

Ladder Up, is a non-profit that has worked since 1994 to make financial resources accessible to everyone. They offer assistance with taxes, college financial aid, and financial literacy.

Where is Ladder Up Located?

There are 13 Ladder Up locations around Chicago where they offer in-person assistance but they also host an online tax preparation service: Express Tax Assistance Program or eTAP for short.

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<p>We offer free electronic preparation and filing of individual income tax returns to help clients access critical tax refunds. BOTH our in-person and online tax assistance programs are completely FREE – choose the service that works best for you.</p><p> </p>

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A User-Friendly Tax Prep Service

Ladder Up's eTap is a “user-friendly electronic tax preparation program” that is available online. The program is designed to be efficient to use and is free for qualifying Illinois residents.

Who Qualifies to File with eTap?

Households earning less than $74,000 per year are eligible to apply. There is an online form that must be completed to further determine eligibility and it can be found here. From there, if you are approved, you will have some additional questions to answer and will be able to upload the necessary documents required.

How Do You Access eTap?

eTap can be accessed on a smartphone, mobile device, or computer, and tax filings are prepared by Ladder Up’s tax professionals. All eTap users will receive a copy of their tax return before it is submitted to the IRS.

Learn more about Ladder Up and all of the financial resources that are available to Illinois residents by visiting their website.