News Releases
Law students provide tax season help
Friday, January 26, 2007
Elderly, low-income and non-English speaking taxpayers who need help preparing their income tax returns will again be able to turn to Valparaiso University law students for assistance.
VU students are participating in the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteers in Tax Assistance (VITA) community service program and will offer free tax preparation to eligible taxpayers beginning Feb. 3.
Taxpayers with annual income of $38,000 or less are eligible for the free tax preparation help if they have not received income from the sale of stocks, mutual funds or homes. Students will help prepare taxpayers’ federal and state income tax returns.
Jared Helge, a third-year law student and vice president of VU’s Richard Blennerhasset Tax Law Society, said 70 student volunteers are participating in the VITA program this year.
“This provides a valuable service to a large number of people in our community who have low incomes, are elderly or aren’t fluent in English,” Helge said. “Preparing these tax returns also is a good learning experience for law students going into a taxation-related field.”
Appointments should be arranged in advance by calling the Valparaiso VITA program at (219) 465-7900. Tax assistance will be provided each Saturday through April 14 at the VU School of Law, 656 S. Greenwich St.
Those receiving help should bring a photo identification and their Social Security card, along with those of their spouse and dependents, in addition to W-2s and other forms documenting income.
VU’s Tax Law Society was formed in 2005. Last year, law students prepared approximately 120 tax returns and served 200 taxpayers.
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