Plain Tax Help publishes free, plain-English explanations of U.S. tax topics: how to file for free, which deductions and credits exist, when things are due, and how state taxes differ.
What this site is
Tax information online is often written to sell software or services, or buried in jargon. We aim for something simpler: clear answers to the questions people actually search — “do I need to file?”, “where is my refund?”, “standard or itemized?” — with links to the official IRS and state sources so you can check everything yourself.
What this site is not
- We are not the IRS or any government agency, and we are not affiliated with one.
- We are not a tax preparer, CPA, enrolled agent, attorney or financial adviser (and neither is the author, unless stated otherwise on this page), and nothing here is tax, legal or financial advice. See the disclaimer.
- We do not collect your tax documents or personal tax data. We do not offer filing services.
How we research
Our primary source is IRS.gov — forms, instructions, publications, Tax Topics and newsroom releases. For state pages we use state revenue agency websites. Where a number changes every year, we either cite the specific tax year and the IRS release it came from, or we describe the rule in general terms and tell you to verify current-year figures. When something is uncertain or in flux (for example, which free-filing programs exist in a given year), we say so rather than guess. Read the full editorial policy.
Who writes this site
Plain Tax Help is written and maintained by Fadal Abdul, an independent publisher. He researches tax topics from IRS.gov and official state sources and explains them in plain English, linking to the official pages so you can check everything yourself.
Fadal Abdul is not a CPA, attorney or enrolled agent, and does not hold any professional tax credential unless one is stated on this page. The content is general education, not tax advice, and it does not take your personal situation into account. For advice about your own return, consult a licensed CPA, enrolled agent or tax attorney, or use free help such as the IRS VITA/TCE programs.
Corrections
If you spot an error or an outdated figure, please tell us through the contact page. We correct factual errors promptly and update the “last updated” date when we make a substantive change.
How the site is funded
The site is intended to be supported by advertising (for example Google AdSense) and may in future include clearly labelled affiliate links. Advertising never decides what we write or what we say about a free option. See our privacy policy for how advertising cookies work.