Governor Polis Celebrates Tax Innovation for Filing Efficiency and Colorado’s Family-Focused Tax Credits

DENVER - Today, Governor Polis joined the Colorado Department of Revenue, Code For America, and the New Practice Lab to remind Coloradans who have not yet filed taxes to take advantage of the free SimpleFile tool, which is available to low-income Colorado families who qualify for the Colorado Child Tax Credit or Family Affordability Tax Credit for tax year 2024 or 2025 who haven't yet filed their taxes. Eligible Coloradans have until November 16, 2026 to submit a simplified return on the application.

"Colorado is the best state to live, work, play, and start a family. We want to make it easier to file taxes to make government more efficient. This collaborative innovative tool helps Colorado families take advantage of available tax credits. Already 613 families in Colorado have used SimpleFile to access $3.1 million in savings," said Governor Polis.

Governor Polis announced the new SimpleFile tool in partnership with Code for America in early July. The mobile-friendly tool allows eligible Coloradans to complete a simplified state tax return in about 15 minutes without needing income documents such as a W2 or 1099, helping more families access the Colorado Child Tax Credit and Family Affordability Tax Credit.

Governor Polis also celebrated the launch of the second year of Colorado's prefilled return project, conducted in partnership with the New Practice Lab. The first year saw 15,000 Coloradans with unclaimed or underclaimed tax credits or other tax refunds from a prior year offered a prepopulated tax return. Nearly 5,400 people received $2.6 million back, with the average time to claim only 4.2 minutes.

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