What you need to know to file your taxes after the April 15 deadline if you live in LA County

As the April 15 midnight deadline to file taxes approaches, many people have questions, including victims affected by the January 2025 wildfires and people who file taxes with an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN).

On Tuesday, Free Tax Prep Los Angeles and  Volunteer Tax Assistance (VITA) helped Angelenos file their taxes across L.A. County. In Koreatown, people arrived at the Koreatown + Youth Community Center. 

Among them was Melissa Gomez, who works at the center and was able to file her taxes on site. She said this is the first time she’s filing with VITA and it was a very easy process. 

She also noticed that as a single person with no dependents, she received a higher tax refund this year compared to previous years. 

Gomez said she has seen people afraid and questioning if they should file their taxes to avoid any federal relations because of the intimidation against immigrants. 

“[At the Center] we have a lot of information and resources that can help our community and are always available,” she said. 

The fear comes after last week’s announcement through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Both agencies agreed to create a framework for the sharing of information of undocumented immigrants for criminal investigation purposes. 

On April 7, 2025, IRS Chief Privacy Officer Kathleen Evey Walters said that since March 17, 2025, “the IRS has not received any requests for taxpayer information from DHS or ICE and has not provided any return information to DHS or ICE.” 

There is litigation in process after two immigrant worker organizations sued Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to stop the IRS from engaging in the unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer information for the purposes of immigration enforcement, according to the Economic Institute Policy (EIP).  

Providing support and information

Audrey Garcia, assistant director for economic services at the Koreatown + Youth Center, said many of their clients have been anxious since President Trump took office, due to his many changes in policies. She said that the VITA program never shares any client information with anyone and everything is confidential. She added that the announcement by the federal government specifies that the information is mainly for those with deportation proceedings to find out where they live. 

“So from what we know right now, most people, nearly all taxpayers are safe and they should file with confidence,” she said. “It isn’t illegal to make money in the U.S.”

She said if people are still fearful but want to comply with their duty with the government, residents of Los Angeles County should fill out the tax form but not sign or send the documents to the IRS yet. L.A. County residents have an extra six months to file, and once they are comfortable, they can go back and sign and send in their return. 

“I tell them, I’m not going to send anything until we see how all of this rolls out. If they feel comfortable, they can come back in August or September to take care of it,” she said. 

Research shows that undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2022. About $59.4 billion was paid to the federal government, while the remaining $37.3 billion was paid to state and local governments, according to The Institute on axation and Economic Policy (ITEP)

Wildfire victims

The IRS said in a press release that following the disaster declaration issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), individuals and households that reside or have a business in Los Angeles County qualify for tax relief. 

“These taxpayers now have until Oct. 15, 2025, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments,” said the IRS. 

Garcia said in Los Angeles County there is a six-month extension to file because the county is designated as a natural disaster area after the wildfires. People can file after the April 15 deadline without penalty or fees and there is no need to file for an extension. 

“But if you live in another county, today [April 15] is your filing deadline,” she said. 

She said those who are expecting refunds have up to three years after the filing deadline to claim that refund. 

The VITA program, with over 60 multilingual sites, has been available to residents and families for over a decade and has offered free tax help to people who need assistance in preparing their tax returns. 

They help qualifying residents who make less than $67,000 to file for free. These filers can claim up to $12,628 in combined federal and state tax credits, including the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit, CalEITC, Young Child Tax Credit, and the Foster Youth Tax Credit.

For more information visit: www.freetaxprepla.com/about