VITA — Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
IRS-certified volunteers at libraries, community centers, schools. They prepare AND file your return for free. Especially good for: EITC, CTC, immigrants with ITIN, multiple-W2 situations, self-employed under $30K. Find a site at irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep or call 211.
TCE — Tax Counseling for the Elderly (AARP)
Free in-person tax help for anyone 60+, no income limit. Run mostly by AARP. Many sites at senior centers and libraries. Find one at aarp.org/taxaide.
IRS Free File + Direct File
Free online filing for federal AND state returns. Eight tax software brands participate. irs.gov/filing/free-file. Plus IRS Direct File (the IRS's own free tool) is now in 25+ states for simple returns: directfile.irs.gov.
Legal Services Corporation (LSC)
Federally funded legal aid for civil matters: eviction, custody, disability, immigration, consumer fraud, public benefits. Find your local office at lsc.gov/find-legal-aid.
LawHelp.org
Pick your state, find every free legal resource — pro-bono lawyers, court self-help centers, legal-aid hotlines, free forms. Excellent search by issue type. lawhelp.org.
Court self-help centers
Every state has free court "self-help" centers — they can't represent you but they can show you which forms to file, how to fill them out, and what the process looks like. Especially good for: small claims, evictions, simple divorces, name changes, probate without contest. Search "[your state] court self-help."
Food banks (Feeding America)
200+ food banks, 60,000 partner pantries. No income verification at most pantries — just show up. Find one at feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank.
SNAP / WIC / Free School Meals
Federal nutrition programs. Run our Quickcheck → to see if you qualify.
Senior food programs
Meals on Wheels (home-delivered meals), Commodity Supplemental Food Program (monthly food box, ages 60+ under 130% FPL), Senior Farmers' Market vouchers. Call 211 or visit mealsonwheelsamerica.org.
LIHEAP — Heating & Cooling Assistance
Federal program that pays $300–1,500/yr toward heating/cooling bills for low-income households. Apply through your state. Find your state at liheapch.acf.hhs.gov.
Lifeline — Free or discounted phone/internet
Federal program: $9.25/mo discount on phone or internet for income under 135% FPL. Many providers offer FREE plans with this discount stacked. Apply at usac.org/lifeline.
HUD housing counseling (free)
HUD-approved housing counselors will help you with rental issues, foreclosure prevention, first-time home buying, reverse mortgages. Free. hud.gov/findacounselor.
Community Health Centers (FQHCs)
1,400+ federally qualified health centers nationwide. Primary care + dental + mental health on a sliding scale based on income — most low-income patients pay $20-50/visit. They cannot turn anyone away. findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.
Prescription assistance
NeedyMeds (needymeds.org) and RxAssist (rxassist.org) catalog every drug-maker patient assistance program. Often FREE brand-name meds for low-income patients. GoodRx is also free for discounts at the pharmacy counter.
Library financial workshops
Most public libraries offer free workshops on budgeting, credit repair, first-time home buying, retirement planning. Ask at the reference desk or check your library's events calendar.
NFCC — Credit counseling
National Foundation for Credit Counseling. Free initial budget review with a certified counselor. Will help build a debt-management plan, negotiate with creditors. Some follow-up services cost $20-50/mo (still much cheaper than for-profit "credit repair"). nfcc.org.
Khan Academy + Better Money Habits
Khan Academy's free Personal Finance course (khanacademy.org) covers everything from budgeting to retirement. Bank of America's bettermoneyhabits.bankofamerica.com is free even if you don't bank there.