Mamdani kicks off free tax prep season for NYC residents

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani takes the oath of office during a swearing-in ceremony in the Old City Hall subway station, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in New York. Photo: Yuki Iwamura/AP

CITYWIDE — MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI on Tuesday joined the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, NYC Health + Hospitals and MetroPlusHealth to kick off the 2026 tax season by announcing free, in-person and virtual tax preparation services as part of the NYC Free Tax Prep initiative. Last year, 110,000 returns were completed through the program, saving residents an average of $346 in fees per return, the mayor’s office said in a release.

The administration said it will also focus on protecting New Yorkers from unfair fees, sketchy loan products and other deceptive corporate activity. “New Yorkers shouldn’t have to jump through hoops or pay outrageous fees just to file their taxes,” Mamdani said.

The program is available to anyone who lives or works in New York City and who earns $97,000 or less annually and files as a family, or those who earn $68,000 or less annually and file as an individual or couple without a dependent. Tax season runs from Jan. 26 to April 15. To search for the most convenient free site, call 311, visit nyc.gov/TaxPrep or use DCWP’s interactive map.

Note: The Trump administration has eliminated the free IRS Direct File program, piloted during the Biden administration and available to New Yorkers, after opposition from Republicans and for-profit tax prep corporations, according to NextGov and other outlets.

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