Dallas Free Tax Prep 2027: Community Tax Centers, Dallas College VITA, Collin County Sites and What to Bring
Paying a storefront preparer $200 or more to file a simple return takes a real bite out of a tax refund, especially when the refund includes the Earned Income Tax Credit. In Dallas you don't have to. IRS-certified volunteers at dozens of sites around the metro will prepare and e-file your federal return for free if your household income is under the limit.
This guide covers the main free options in Dallas and Collin counties: the Dallas Community Tax Centers, the Dallas College VITA sites, Catholic Charities Dallas in Plano and McKinney, AARP and other community groups, and the online MyFreeTaxes program. It also lists exactly what to bring so you don't have to come back.
A note on dates: As of mid-October 2026, the providers haven't posted their schedules for the 2027 filing season. The sites, hours and income limits below are from the 2026 season, the most recent available. Most of these programs return to the same places each year, but check the provider's website or text line in January before you go.
Last checked October 2026. Sources: United Way of Metropolitan Dallas's Free Tax Preparation page, the Dallas Community Tax Centers 2026 site flyer and FAQ, Dallas College's Free Tax Help page, the IRS free tax prep checklist, and the IRS EITC tables.
The Short Version
| Option | Who it serves (2026 season) | How it works | |---|---|---| | Dallas Community Tax Centers | Individuals under $69,000; households of 2–4 under $85,000, plus $5,000 per additional person | Walk-in, no appointment, at two main sites; MLK Center by appointment | | Dallas College VITA | Individuals and families who earned less than about $68,575–$68,675 (see note) | Appointment at five Dallas College locations | | Catholic Charities Dallas (Collin County) | VITA-eligible filers | Appointment only, four sites in Plano and McKinney | | AARP Foundation Tax-Aide | Taxpayers of all ages | 83 locations across North Texas, per United Way | | MyFreeTaxes (online) | Household income of $79,000 or less | File yourself online, with help from IRS-trained specialists |
Dallas Community Tax Centers
The Dallas Community Tax Centers (CTC) are run by Foundation Communities. United Way of Metropolitan Dallas lists them as the main free tax prep option in Dallas County. CTC says it has prepared more than 66,719 returns since 2010, bringing local families nearly $103 million in refunds.
Who qualifies
For the 2026 season, the CTC served:
Individuals earning under $69,000 a year
Households of 2 to 4 people earning under $85,000 a year
Larger households: add $5,000 to the limit for each additional person
According to its FAQ, you don't have to live in the city of Dallas to use the centers.
What they can help with
The 2026 flyer says CTC's IRS-certified preparers can help with:
Current and prior-year federal tax returns
Amendments to returns you've already filed
Questions about IRS letters
ITIN applications and renewals
Returns for foreign students and non-residents
That makes CTC a good fit for filers whose situations are a little more complicated than a single W-2: people who need an ITIN, who missed a year, or who got a letter from the IRS.
2026 locations and hours
Walk-in sites opened Saturday, January 24, 2026. No appointment was needed.
Now Forward 2875 Merrell Rd., Dallas, TX 75229 Tuesday–Friday, 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. (closed Monday)
Concord Church 6808 Pastor Bailey Dr., Dallas, TX 75237 Monday–Thursday, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. (closed Friday) The tax center is inside the Worship Center, at the back of the building.
Martin Luther King Jr. Center (by appointment only, starting February 6 last season) 2922 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Dallas, TX 75215 Appointments were booked online through the link on CTC's flyer.
CTC also said it would post additional mobile sites on its website during the season.
How to get updates
Website: dallastaxcenters.org
Text FREETAXPREP to (855) 697-7088 (Spanish: text IMPUESTOS to the same number)
Phone: (214) 370-9353 (on the flyer) or 1-844-DTC-1040 (in the FAQ)
United Way's newsletter gave a different text option: TAXCENTERS to 833-939-1387. Both numbers have been published, so if one doesn't answer, try the other.
Dallas College VITA Sites
Dallas College hosts VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) sites with sponsors Foundation Communities and Sharing Life Community Outreach. For the 2026 season, appointments opened in January and ran through April at:
Eastfield Campus
Garland Center
Mountain View Campus
Pleasant Grove Center (802 S. Buckner Blvd., Dallas, TX 75217)
West Dallas Center
Dallas College says VITA has days, evenings and weekend hours, help in English and Spanish, and is aimed at people with low to moderate incomes, people with disabilities, and taxpayers with limited English. It also notes there are more than 50 VITA sites across the DFW metroplex, many of them reachable by DART.
About the income limit: Dallas College's page lists two different numbers: "less than $68,575" earned in 2025 in one spot, and "$68,675 or less" in another. The second figure matches the IRS's top EITC income limit for tax year 2025 (married filing jointly, three or more children). If your income is close to either number, call before you book.
If Dallas College appointments are full, its page links to a search for other VITA providers near you.
Collin County: Catholic Charities Dallas
In Collin County, Catholic Charities Dallas runs VITA sites. In 2026 they were open February 2 through April 15, by appointment only. You book through the Catholic Charities Dallas Next Gen Wealth Academy page by choosing "Book Appointment," then a location, day and time.
2026 locations:
Schimelpfenig Library, 5024 Custer Rd., Plano, TX 75023
St. Mark the Evangelist – Smyth Pastoral Center, 1100 W. 15th St., Suite 201 (second floor), Plano, TX 75075
Christ United Methodist Church, 3101 Coit Rd., Room N160, Plano, TX 75075
First United Bank, 1700 N. Redbud Blvd., Suite 130A, McKinney, TX 75069
Other Free In-Person Options
United Way of Metropolitan Dallas also lists:
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide: 83 locations across North Texas
International Rescue Committee: in-person and virtual appointments. Contact Donna Robbins at 214-420-0248 or Donna.Robbins@rescue.org.
Sharing Life Community Outreach: call 972-430-8732 or email sofia@sharing.life
Filing Online for Free: MyFreeTaxes
If you're comfortable filing on your own, MyFreeTaxes is United Way's free online program. United Way says it:
Files federal and state returns for free
Is open to households with income of $79,000 or less, with no paid add-ons
Works on phones, in English and Spanish
Has a helpline and email support from IRS-trained specialists
What to Bring
Bring the wrong papers and you may be sent home to come back another day. Here's a combined list from the CTC flyer and FAQ and the IRS checklist. Bring documents for you, your spouse and everyone you're claiming as a dependent.
Identification
Photo ID: a current driver's license, state ID, passport, or employment authorization card
Birth dates for everyone in the household
Social Security numbers
Social Security cards, or another official document showing the full SSN
ITIN cards or letters for anyone who doesn't have an SSN
Your Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) letter, if the IRS assigned you one
Income
W-2s from every employer
1099s for contract work, pensions, Social Security (SSA-1099), unemployment, interest and dividends
A list of cash or checks you received (the CTC FAQ asks for this, which matters for gig and self-employed workers)
Statements for prizes, scholarships or gambling winnings
Health coverage and expenses
Form 1095-A, if you had a Marketplace health plan
Receipts for out-of-pocket medical costs, if you're itemizing
Credits and deductions
Form 1098-T for college or trade school
Your child care provider's year-end statement
Student loan interest, business or mileage expenses
Mortgage interest, property tax and charitable donation records, if you own a home or itemize
Other
Last year's tax return, if you have it
Any IRS letters or notices
A blank check or other proof of your routing and account numbers, for direct deposit
Married filing jointly? The IRS says both spouses must be there to sign before a joint return can be e-filed.
Why It's Worth It: The EITC
Much of the money that comes back through free tax prep is the Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable credit for working people with low to moderate incomes. For tax year 2025 (returns filed in 2026), the IRS's maximum credits were:
| Qualifying children | Maximum EITC (tax year 2025) | |---|---| | None | $649 | | 1 | $4,328 | | 2 | $7,152 | | 3 or more | $8,046 |
To claim it for tax year 2025, investment income had to be $11,950 or less, and income had to be under limits that depend on filing status and family size. For example, a married couple filing jointly with three or more children had to be under $68,675. The IRS hadn't yet posted the tax year 2026 amounts (for returns filed in 2027) on its EITC tables page when we checked. They usually rise a little each year.
VITA and CTC volunteers will check whether you qualify, so you don't need to work it out yourself.
Tips for a Smooth Visit
Go early in the season. Walk-in lines usually get longer as the April deadline gets close.
Bring everything at once. Missing a single 1099 can mean a second trip.
Text for updates. Sites and hours change from year to year, and mobile sites get added during the season.
Have an ITIN issue or an old unfiled year? Go to the CTC. It lists ITIN and prior-year returns among its services.
Quick Checklist
Check your income against the limit: $69,000 single or $85,000 for a household of 2–4 at the CTC, and about $68,600 at Dallas College
Pick walk-in (CTC) or appointment (Dallas College, Collin County)
Gather your ID, SSN or ITIN documents, income forms and bank information
Bring your spouse if you're filing jointly
In January, text FREETAXPREP to (855) 697-7088 for 2027 sites and hours
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