Free Tax Help in Boston: The Tax Help Coalition and the Massachusetts Credits to Claim

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If your household earned $70,000 or less, the Boston Tax Help Coalition will prepare and file your return for free. Its volunteers also look for Massachusetts credits many people miss. Here's what the Coalition offers, which state credits to ask about, and how to get ready before sites open for the 2027 season.

AT A GLANCE

Who qualifies: Boston-area residents earning $70,000 or less a year.
Ways to file: At a neighborhood tax site, through scheduled drop-off, or online with a certified volunteer.
Massachusetts extras: The state EITC is 40% of the federal credit. The Child and Family Tax Credit is $440 per eligible person. Renters can deduct half their rent, up to $4,000.
Language help: Interpretation in Spanish, Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean Creole, Portuguese, French, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese and ASL.
Questions: Call 617-635-4500 or email FreeTaxHelp@boston.gov.

What the Boston Tax Help Coalition is

The Boston Tax Help Coalition (BTHC) is a City-led partnership of community groups, led by the City's Worker Empowerment Cabinet. IRS-certified volunteers prepare and file returns for free, so you don't pay a for-profit preparer's fee.

The scale is real. When the City launched the 2026 season on February 2, 2026, it said the Coalition had completed more than 11,500 returns the year before. Those returns brought more than $22 million in credits and refunds to Boston families. The City put the average client's income at about $30,000.

The Coalition marked 25 years of free tax help in 2026 and says it's looking ahead to the 2027 season. The 2027 site list hadn't been posted when we checked.

The free tax preparation service helps low- to moderate-income residents keep more of their earned income by eliminating predatory, for-profit tax preparation fees.

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The Massachusetts money to ask about

Federal credits get the headlines, but Massachusetts adds its own. A BTHC volunteer should check every one that fits you. Knowing them in advance helps you bring the right papers.

Credit or deduction	What it's worth	Who it's for
Massachusetts EITC	40% of your federal EITC	Workers who qualify for the federal EITC and lived in Massachusetts for at least part of the year
Child and Family Tax Credit	$440 for each eligible person, with no cap on how many	Households with a dependent child under 13, a dependent 65 or older, or a disabled dependent or spouse
Rental deduction	Half the rent you paid, up to a $4,000 deduction	Renters whose principal home is in Massachusetts
Senior Circuit Breaker credit	Up to $2,820 for tax year 2025	Homeowners and renters 65 or older who meet income and housing-cost tests

The state EITC in numbers

For tax year 2025, the Department of Revenue (DOR) lists these maximum Massachusetts EITC amounts. Income limits depend on your filing status.

Qualifying children	Max federal AGI (single or head of household)	Max federal AGI (married filing jointly)	Max Massachusetts EITC
None	$19,104	$26,214	$260
1	$50,434	$57,554	$1,731
2	$57,310	$64,430	$2,861
3 or more	$61,555	$68,675	$3,218

If you don't have a qualifying child, DOR says you generally must be at least 25 and under 65. Investment income for tax year 2025 can't be more than $11,950. Married people filing separately can claim it only in limited situations, such as a domestic abuse exception.

Two details that trip people up

Children without an SSN or ITIN. You can still claim the Child and Family Tax Credit for them by requesting a Massachusetts Alternative Taxpayer Identification Number (MATIN). This means mailing a paper return marked "REQUEST ALTERNATIVE ID." Include a letter and copies of two documents for each child, such as a birth certificate or Massachusetts school records. You still need your own SSN or ITIN.
What counts as rent. For the rental deduction, a security deposit and last month's rent paid up front don't count. Utilities or parking count only if your landlord doesn't charge for them separately.

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Three ways to file with BTHC

In person at a neighborhood site. Bring your documents and work with a volunteer face to face. The City's flyer says to call your site first to confirm appointment, drop-off and walk-in options.
Drop-off. The flyer lists drop-off as an option at some sites. Each site handles it differently, so ask how it works when you call.
Online with a volunteer. BTHC partners with GetYourRefund.org. You answer questions, upload your documents, then have a call with a certified preparer before your return is submitted. You need a smartphone or computer, photo ID, an email address and a phone number.

Help for residents with disabilities

The Coalition runs dedicated service days with the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind and DEAF Inc. In 2025, that partnership served more than 188 taxpayers with disabilities. The flyer lists 617-918-5260 for taxpayers with disabilities, and details are at boston.gov/disability-tax-help.

A free credit check-up

Six 2026 sites also offered an optional Financial Check-Up, a short credit session with a trained Financial Guide: DotHouse Health, Codman Square Health Center, Urban Edge, BHA-Charlestown WORKS, the Community Economic Development Center and the Center for Working Families. The City says participants raised their FICO scores by an average of 15.5 points within a year.

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Where last season's sites were

These are some of the Boston sites on the City's 2025–26 tax help flyer. Sites and hours change each year, so use this list to find a familiar place and confirm before you go.

Site	Address	Phone
Center for Working Families	7 Palmer St., 2nd Floor, Roxbury	617-541-2699
ABCD Robert M. Coard Building	178 Tremont St., Boston	617-348-6583
ABCD Dorchester NSC	110 Claybourne St., Dorchester	617-288-2700
ABCD Mattapan FSC	535 River St., Mattapan	617-298-2045
ABCD East Boston APAC	21 Meridian St., East Boston	617-567-8857
DotHouse Health	1353 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester	617-740-2421
Codman Square Health Center	450 Washington St., Dorchester	617-822-8182
Urban Edge	1542 Columbus Ave., Roxbury	617-989-9326
Chinatown Main Street	2 Boylston St., Suite G07, Boston	617-350-6303
Copley Square Library	700 Boylston St., Boston	617-863-7376

The flyer also lists ABCD sites in Allston-Brighton, the North End, Parker Hill/Fenway, Roslindale, Roxbury/North Dorchester and the South End. It includes the Brighton, Codman Square and Roslindale library branches, BHA Charlestown-WORKS, and partner sites in Cambridge, Quincy, Chelsea and Watertown.

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What to bring

The City's checklist is longer than most. These items matter most for Massachusetts returns:

Before you call

☐ Unexpired photo ID, plus Social Security cards or ITIN letters for you, your spouse and every dependent
☐ All W-2s and 1099s (1099-G, 1099-R, 1099-INT, SSA-1099 and any self-employment 1099s)
☐ Last year's tax return and any letters from the IRS or the Massachusetts DOR
☐ Proof of health insurance for everyone on the return: insurance cards, MA 1099-HC, and Form 1095-A if you had Health Connector or Marketplace coverage
☐ Proof of all rent you paid during the year, for the rental deduction (and the Circuit Breaker credit if you're 65 or older)
☐ Child care costs, plus the provider's name, address and EIN or SSN
☐ 1098-T, 1098-E, property tax bills and charitable receipts, if they apply
☐ Printed bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit

If you got or expect help paying for health insurance, the City says to bring proof of all household income.

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK

Start a "taxes" folder and drop in every rent receipt, child care receipt and tax form as it arrives.
Ask your landlord for a rent statement covering the whole year if you don't keep receipts.
Make a list of everyone in your household under 13, 65 or older, or disabled, for the $440 credit.
Save 617-635-4500 and check the City's tax preparation page for the 2027 site list before you file.

Related help

For nationwide options like IRS Free File, see our guide to filing your taxes free with IRS Free File and VITA. If high bills are squeezing you, see Boston heating bill help, including fuel assistance and Eversource programs. Homeowners 65 and older should also read about Boston property tax exemptions.

Official sources

Last checked: October 23, 2026 (City of Boston tax-help pages and the 2025–26 site flyer; DOR credit pages for tax year 2025. Amounts for tax year 2026 and the 2027 site list weren't posted yet).