Free tax help for Midland and Odessa

Get Transcript first

Before calling anyone, pull your IRS records. Get Transcript shows your account balance history and the W-2 and 1099 forms the IRS has on file for each year ^[1]. Most free programs and paid professionals will ask for them anyway.

If you cannot pass the online identity check, transcripts can be requested by mail. Account transcripts show assessment dates, payments and penalties; wage and income transcripts show forms filed by employers and payers. Those two documents answer most questions about how much is owed and why ^[1].

Look for years marked with a substitute return or with no return filed. Those years usually need attention before any payment plan or offer can be approved, because the IRS expects every required return to be filed first.

Taxpayer Advocate Service

The Taxpayer Advocate Service sits inside the IRS but answers to the National Taxpayer Advocate, not to collection. It takes cases involving financial harm, repeated failed contacts, or a broken IRS procedure; Form 911 or a call to the nearest TAS office starts one ^[2].

TAS is especially useful for stuck levy releases, refunds and account corrections. Expect questions about which letters you received, what you already tried, and the concrete harm — a missed rent payment, a frozen payroll account ^[2].

Low Income Taxpayer Clinics

Low Income Taxpayer Clinics are grant-funded legal clinics; for qualifying households they handle audits, appeals and collection cases at no charge or for a nominal fee ^[3][4].

Closest on the 2026 list (Publication 4134, Rev. 1-2026) is the Texas Tech University clinic in Lubbock; the rest of the Texas clinics sit in Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Addison ^[3]. Call before sending documents to confirm the clinic is accepting new cases. Ask whether a clinic serves Midland, Ector or Martin County; income limits apply. Expect an intake interview and a request for income documents. Many clinics work by phone and mail, so distance matters less than it seems. If a clinic cannot take your case, ask whether it can refer you to another clinic or a volunteer attorney program.

VITA and TCE

Volunteer preparers at VITA sites file returns at no cost when household income is roughly $70,244 or under, and also help people with disabilities or limited English; the TCE program serves taxpayers 60 and up ^[5]. Site lists change every season, so check the IRS locator ^[6] in January rather than relying on last year's location.

Students and staff at Midland College and UT Permian Basin can check for campus events during the filing season ^[7][8].

Appeal rights you can use yourself

If the IRS proposes a levy, files a lien, or rejects or ends a payment plan, you can ask for a Collection Appeals Program review. Publication 1660 explains CAP and the Collection Due Process hearing, including the deadlines for each ^[9].

Balances of $50,000 or less usually qualify for a self-service monthly plan online, and a short-term plan covers balances under $100,000 ^[10].

Know the local numbers

Midland County jobs averaged $2,024 a week in Q1 2026, Ector County $1,521 and Martin County $1,549 ^[11][12][13]. Unemployment was 3.3% in Midland County and 4.0% in Ector County in August 2026 ^[14][15].

Report deceptive tax-relief advertising to the Texas Attorney General ^[16]. If you are not sure which route fits, call. The first call is free, and you get a real professional instead of a national call center.