Locals put taxes in the hands of accounting students

Free income tax preparation prepared by Cal Poly business accounting students, faculty and community certified public accountants continues this month through the Orfalea College of Business educational and community program Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA).

The program aims to give students vital learning experience while helping the community. VITA provides its services only to community members who are unable to pay for tax services, non-English speakers, the elderly, the disabled and those with a low income (under $40,000).

“(The program) is for people who cannot generally afford tax assistance,” said business administration junior Mark Skeehan.

The program is run nationally and sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service. Cal Poly’s program receives additional sponsorship from the Cal Poly business department and the California Franchise Tax Board.

VITA was established more than 30 years ago and has been present at Cal Poly for 15 years.

At Cal Poly, VITA is run as a business course, which requires many prerequisites before students can participate. The class is only offered during winter quarter, when most people are preparing for tax season.

More than 90 students are involved in the program, and all of them receive senior project credits for their involvement, said Norinne Morris, the administrative assistant for the accounting concentration.

Business senior Michael Bonfante said that not only does the program give him the necessary senior project credits but also allows him to figure out what he wants to do after he graduates.

“It’s given me a better understanding of the process of preparing returns,” Bonfante said.

Janice Carr, a business professor and VITA program coordinator has been running the program since its start at Cal Poly. She said the program has been a huge success at Cal Poly because students are not only practicing what they have learned in classes, but they are gaining self-confidence in communication and their tax skills as well.

“Students work in pairs and change partners every week. We (the faculty) are there to help students if they have questions, but we do not deal with clients,” Carr said.

The program begins with a four-week training course for students. Two classes – taught by business professors Carr, Michelle Bissonnette and Jack Robison – provide the enrolled students with mock tax situations, essential software training and allow students to get familiar with the tax preparation process.

After only two weekends, VITA has had a successful turnout. During the second VITA session, students completed close to 103 returns and word about their services is spreading throughout the local community.

Being so early in the tax season, Bonfante and other students are expecting an even bigger turnout in the next few weeks. Carr said that last year, near the end of the program, VITA was assisting 150 to 160 people a day.

For those participating in the program, VITA mirrors what a real job after graduation will be like. Students are required to abide by a professional dress code and converse with each individual person as they would a client.

Cal Poly’s VITA offers assistance in Spanish as well. This quarter, there are nine business students fluent in Spanish who are able to help the non-English speaking community. All forms are available in Spanish as well.

VITA takes place every Saturday until March 17, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m in Business building, room 306. Anyone in the community can participate if they meet the requirements. No appointments are necessary.