Eligible Missourians who have made less than $57,000 can “free file” taxes online and could be eligible to receive an earned income tax credit.

Missouri IRS spokesman Michael Devine urges those who have not yet filed their taxes to get it done sooner rather than later. With the April 15th tax deadline a little more than two months away, Devine says those who are eligible for income tax credits tend to overlook them.

The earned income tax credit is meant for working families that make less than $50,000 a year.

“This is a credit that can be worth almost $6,000,” he says. “If you’re eligible for it you can claim it, it can reduce your tax debt to zero and you can end up with a refund of anything left over.”

Devine says individuals are also eligible to “free file” their taxes online if they have made less than $57,000 a year. To do that, he says to log on to the IRS website, click on the “free file” tab and pick the company you would like to work with that best fits your tax needs. There will be a list of 15 companies that partner with the IRS to work with. 

“You will then be taken into that company’s software and you’ll be able to do your tax return just like you were paying them to use the software,” he says.

Devine says not only a is it a great way to file your federal returns, but also your state returns and it reduces the chance for mistakes. He says when you e-file, you’ll be able to get a notification back in 24 hours that your return has been accepted.

There is a fee to e-file state income taxes in Missouri, however, it is free to mail them in.

For more information, visit www.irs.gov and click on “free file.”

AUDIO: Mary Farucci reports. (1:00)