Brennan AngelA group of Cal Poly students aims to ease the stress of tax season by offering free tax services for low-income students and community members.
Business accounting seniors will prepare tax returns starting Saturday for free at the computer lab on the business building’s third floor. The program runs from 11 a.m to 2:30 p.m every Saturday until March 15.
Individuals or families with a total income of less than $40,000 are eligible to receive the program’s services.
“We are helping people who may not have the ability to prepare their own taxes,” program coordinator Michelle Bissonnette said.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance has been offered at Cal Poly for 17 years, and 73 students will be involved this year, Bissonnette said. The program is sponsored by the IRS and the Franchise Tax Board.
To participate, individuals are asked to bring their Social Security cards or ITIN numbers as well as their 2006 tax returns. Two students pair up to prepare one tax return, then a certified public accountant from the community checks it over.
“(Participants) are basically getting a professional to do their taxes,” Bissonnette said.
VITA is run as a business class and Cal Poly students receive senior project credit, but the students involved are participating for more reasons than to get school credit.
“It’s a great volunteer opportunity; we are really doing good for the community,” business administration senior Shannon Downing said.
Students also gain real-life experience that can help them determine their career path. “After this class I’ll be comfortable deciding whether I want to go into tax or auditing or neither,” business administration junior Arielle Dekofsky said.
To prepare for the busy tax season, students meet twice a week for a month to learn the computer software as well as administrative policies that the IRS mandates, Bissonnette said. Classes then stop Saturday and students will only meet on Saturdays to prepare tax returns.
But don’t think they won’t be busy.
“First, people come in and we determine if they are eligible through a pre-screening process. Then we prepare their taxes and file them all in one day,” Dekofsky said.
Last year, students filed more than 900 tax returns, and Bissonnette expects this year’s number to be similarly high.
“Every year, we are busy from day one to the very end,” she said.
Cal Poly also offers services for Spanish-speaking individuals. Though the number of students in the class who are fluent in Spanish is low this year, Bissonnette stresses that Spanish-speakers are encouraged to come.
“We will be monitoring the phones to make sure everyone will be helped and all flyers will be printed in Spanish as well,” she said.