Tax Preparation Assistance
AARP Tax Aide
The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program provides in-person tax preparation help to anyone, free of charge, with a special focus on taxpayers who are over 50 and have low to moderate income.
Appointments typically open in February or March.
Library staff cannot provide tax advice or tell you which tax forms you need.
Additional AARP Tax Aide Locations
Search by location for additional Tax Aide sites.
AARP Assistance with Online Filing
To prepare your own taxes online, you can request help from a volunteer counselor to coach you through the process using your own computer while screen-sharing. Tax-Aide also provides taxpayers with access to free software to prepare taxes totally on their own.
Locations for Other Providers of Free Tax Preparation
The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs offer free tax help for taxpayers who qualify.
Book an in-person or Drop-Off Appointment
IRS Free File Option
IRS Free File lets you use guided tax software if your income is below a certain amount.
Tax Questions
IRS Interactive Tax Assistant
This Q &A Tool lets you type in a keyword and it returns frequently asked questions and answers on the topic.
Ask A CPA
Volunteer members of the NJCPA will take tax questions by phone or Zoom at specified times, beginning sometime in March. Check back for updated information.
Where’s My Refund (IRS)?
Use this tool to check your refund. Your refund status will appear around:
- 24 hours after you e-file a current-year return
- 3 or 4 days after you e-file a prior-year return
- 4 weeks after you file a paper return
Where’s My Refund (NJ)?
Use this tool or call 1-800-323-4400 for the automated refund system.
Federal Tax Forms
IRS Forms for Pick Up
1040 and 1040-SR instructions and forms are available to pick up in the Adult Services area.
IRS Forms Online
Forms can be printed from our public computers, or by using our remote printing service.
- All Forms and Instructions
- Form 1040
- Form 1040-SR, for seniors
- Other Schedules (lettered)
- Publication 17 – covers the general rules for filing a federal income tax return. It supplements the information contained in your tax form instruction booklet.
IRS Forms by Mail
State Tax Forms
Online State Forms
The Library does not receive New Jersey state tax forms.
Order State Forms by Mail
To order State of New Jersey tax forms, call the Division’s Customer Service Center (609-292-6400) to request income tax forms and instructions.
New Jersey Property Tax Relief Programs
Combined Application
Residents who are 65+ or receiving Social Security disability benefits now file Form PAS1,
which serves as the combined application for all three programs:
- ANCHOR Program
- Stay NJ (Beginning 2026)
- Senior Freeze(Property Tax Reimbursement).
New Jersey Homeowner’s Property Tax Guide
This comprehensive guide to understanding property taxes is compiled by the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJCPA), New Jersey Realtors®, the Association of Municipal Assessors of NJ, and the Bloustein School of Planning and Policy at Rutgers.
Social Security Benefit Statements
View and download your Benefit Statement (also known as Form SSA-1099 or SSA-1042S). This is a tax form mailed each January to people who receive Social Security benefits. It shows the total benefits received during the previous year and is used to report Social Security income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Find a CPA
NJ CPA Firms Directory
To search for CPA firms, use the category filters in the Finance & Accounting section in the left column. You can also filter by location (left column) or keyword (top of the search results). (This is not a complete listing of CPA firms, and not to be considered an endorsement of any listed firms.)
Tax Books at the Scotch Plains Public Library
Tax Scams
IRS Dirty Dozen
Compiled annually, the “Dirty Dozen” lists a variety of common scams that taxpayers may encounter anytime but many of these schemes peak during filing season as people prepare their returns or hire someone to help with their taxes. Don’t fall prey.