Tax program gives students free assistance
“Free” is a word that college students love. “Taxes” is a word most college students probably don’t care for.
But instead of paying a fee of more than $100 to work with a tax accountant or buying tax software for around $50, students can meet with trained volunteers for free through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistant (VITA) program.
“The volunteers are from Beta Alpha Psi or are accounting students … with about 22 hours of training,” said Paul Saunders, Beta Alpha Psi vice president.
While there are other sites located throughout Logan, any Utah State University student can attend VITA sessions on campus. VITA is open Tuesdays from 4:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. from now until April 8, with the exception of March 11-19 for spring break. VITA is located in Room 120 of the Business Building.
After handling more than 700 returns last year and completing numerous training hours, Saunders said students don’t need to be afraid that volunteers will miss something.
“Be confident in the volunteers,” Saunders said. “They are eager volunteers with experience.”
It is this experience of helping students to file their income taxes correctly and to receive maximum benefits without pay that grabs the attention of some students.
USU student Celeste Viehweg attended VITA for her first time this year after her husband read about it on the Web mail homepage.
“I was tired of paying $120 to get it done,” Viehweg said.
While she may have had to wait a little longer than she would have if she had done her taxes herself, the monetary savings were worth it, she said.
Volunteers encourage attendees to use e-file when filing their taxes, allowing them to receive their refund sooner while making the overall process easier. After only the first day of filing, Saunders reported a record number of e-files and expects that trend to continue throughout the year.
There are two important credits Saunders said students need to be aware of that can save them money: the earned income credit for married students and either the Hope Scholarship or the Lifetime Learning credit can save students up to $2,000.
“While this is a non-refundable credit, it will make sure you come out on top,” Saunders said.
Of the various items that must be brought to have tax returns prepared, Saunders said the thing most people forget is their spouse. In order to file the tax return, both spouses’ signatures are required, resulting in a later filing date if both spouses don’t attend.
The final piece of advice for using the VITA program is to not wait until April 8, Saunders said.
-albaugh@cc.usu.edu