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UIW lends free help on doing income taxes
By Rosaline Tchouapi
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STAFF WRITER
For qualified households making $60,000 or less a year, the H-E-B School of Business and Administration started helping such families this month with completing their income tax forms. The school’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is a free tax preparation service that’s been offered since 1984, said Dr. April Poe, an associate professor who chairs the accounting, business law and management information systems area.
Since 1984, the VITA Program has been offered to the community. Internal Revenue Service-certified workers – including faculty and student volunteers -- help prepare basic, current-year tax returns for these eligible taxpayers.
The program started the first Saturday of the month and will continue 10 a.m.noon Saturdays in the Joyce Building on or before April 15, the official tax declaration deadline. This program also assists working families in claiming tax credits for which they are qualified including the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax
Credit (CTC) and Education Credits. Because are a limited number of appointments, those needing help who qualify should schedule an appointment by e-mailing vita@uiwtx.edu; qualified persons are expected to bring required documents such as a driver’s license or photo I.D. for the taxpayer and spouse (if applicable), Social Security Card or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) for all household family members (photocopies are accepted), all W-2 Forms and 1099 tax forms, other tax forms received if necessary and a copy of prior year tax return (if applicable).
“Our VITA site is staffed with volunteers who see the value of providing this needed tax return preparation service to the community,” Poe said. “We have volunteers who return year after year, complete the required IRS training, and assist Saturday after Saturday during tax season to help taxpayers. Our volunteers get to see the direct impact of their tax help as they meet with grateful taxpayers. In addition, UIW actively supports this outreach by providing us with adequate space to manage our site.”
