United Way of King County – following recommendations from Seattle & King County Public Health regarding the spread of the new coronavirus – announced that it has temporarily closed all Free Tax Preparation sites.

Organizers say that their first priority is the safety and well-being of staff, volunteers and guests. According to Public Health guidelines, the best way to slow the spread of the virus is by “social distancing,” or reducing the number of people in close public contact.

“We would like to encourage taxpayers who still need help with their taxes to visit www.myfreetaxes.com, where eligible households can complete simple returns free of charge,” UWKC said. “The online tool is offered in partnership between United Way and H&R Block.”

“We sincerely apologize to all who were planning to have their taxes prepared by our volunteers, but we feel this is the best course of action to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

“We will continue to follow the guidelines from Public Health, which will determine when the sites will reopen.”