A free tax preparation event will take place in L.A. on Thursday.
Thousands of working families across Los Angeles County are eligible for tax credits worth thousands of dollars. About one in five eligible persons in LA do not file or know how they qualify and miss tax credit dollars each year, leaving up to $579 million on the table.
Free Tax Prep LA (FTPLA) will mark 10 years of helping families claim cashback refunds and tax credits that can exceed $10,000 to help cover essential living expenses.
Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez (District 1) and Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez (District 13) will be at the event. There will also be tax-filer testimonials sharing how tax credits helped them stabilize their finances and offset rising costs covering groceries, housing, childcare, and other essential expenses.
Live, on-site tax filing with IRS-certified tax preparers will be assisting local tax filers, along with Free Tax Prep LA leadership and community partners.
What’s new for the 2026 tax season:
Direct File is no longer available in 2026
Paper checks will no longer be disbursed; filers must have direct deposit setup
Updated Child Tax Credit now requires a parent’s SSN, disqualifying families who previously qualified when only the child had a SSN, impacting mixed-status families.
FTPLA is a collaborative effort between the City of Los Angeles’ Community Investment for Families Department (CIFD), County of Los Angeles Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, Koreatown Youth + Community Center and the United Way of Greater Los Angeles.
FTPLA offers services for qualifying Angelenos who need it most, including low-income individuals, families, persons with disabilities, seniors, and those with limited English proficiency. Multilingual services are available across 100+ IRS-certified Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) locations in Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.FreeTaxPrepLA.com.
The event on Thursday will be at the Koreatown Youth & Community Center, 1230 Menlo Ave., Suite 100, Los Angeles 90006 at 9 a.m. Parking available at the Bank of America located at 1232 Vermont Ave., LA 90006
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