Students and community members seeking help with filing their taxes or getting refunds need look no further than the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program on the University’s campus.

Finance junior Tyler Reames is one of the students helping with the program. He said the program is made up of students taking the two sections of the Accounting 3221 course taught by Letitia Lowe-Ardoin.

The service is offered Feb. 5 through April 15, according to a news release.

“Tax preparation services for those making $51,000 or less are free,” Lowe-Ardoin told University Media Relations. “Returns will be filed electronically.”

The service is basic and reviewed by an IRS agent, Reames said, but if there are complicated tax situations, the students refer the tax payer to a tax professional.

Reames said some of the items people who use the service should bring are: Social Security card, driver’s license, bank information for direct deposit, W-2 form, and 1098 and 1099 forms.

English senior Ryann Roussel is a student worker in the Office of Sponsored Programs. She said even though she is filing as a dependent this year, she would probably not use the service if she was filing her own taxes. Her father is CPA-certified and he does all the family taxes, she said.

Accounting freshman Lena Nguyen said she is a server at L’Auberge and will be filing as a dependent with her family. She said if she was filing her own taxes she would take advantage of the free service because it’s easier than trying to figure it out herself.

Fashion freshman C’era Washington works as a sales associate and is filing her own taxes this year. She said she usually uses H&R Block because her family trusts it, but she would be willing to use the service from the accounting students because it’s convenient while she’s on campus.

Reames said students spent several weeks preparing with a representative from the IRS who showed them how to work the software for inputting tax information.

He said the majority of people he’s seen come in are graduate students, staff and teaching assistants.

• Tuesdays, 2-6 p.m. (Closed 4/2)
• Wednesdays, 4-8 p.m. (Closed 4/3)
• Thursdays, 4-8 p.m. (Closed 4/4)
• Saturday, March 2, 9 a.m.-noon
• Saturday, April 13, 9 a.m.-noon
• Monday, April 15, 2-4 p.m.