Carroll Community College students are preparing income tax returns for members of the community through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Returns are being prepared free of charge for qualified individuals by trained and certified students through April 12, 2014.

VITA offers free assistance to those with low-to-moderate incomes, including persons with disabilities and the elderly. Taxpayers who qualify and who file Form 1040EZ, Form 1040A, or basic Form 1040 federal tax returns are invited to inquire about this service. In many cases, returns can be filed electronically.

Carroll Assessment and Program Analyst and Accounting Professor Kate Demarest directs the VITA effort at Carroll. “For the past ten years, Carroll Community has offered the VITA program. This program is sponsored by the IRS, which provides software and e-filing support, as well as training materials and resources,” she said.

“In 2013, Carroll Community College’s VITA program served 327 low- to moderate-income clients. Our clients were diverse, with our youngest being 15 years of age and our oldest 94. The program is staffed entirely by volunteers, including myself and students. Our volunteers include students seeking an associate degree in business, those hoping to transfer for majors in business or accounting, and students with bachelor’s degrees taking classes to sit for the CPA exam,” she said.

“Many of our volunteers had families of their own as well as full-time jobs, but they find time to serve others. In 2013, our clients received $423,466 in federal refunds, with $119,828 attributable to the Earned Income Credit awarded to 68 low income households. The average household income for our clients was $23,279. In addition, our clients received state refunds of $119,369 according to Demarest.

“In addition, Carroll’s VITA program has an impact on the preparers. “Each of our students gains valuable work experience and learns to prepare returns professionally. Furthermore, because of the complexity of people’s financial situations and the associated tax rules, students learn how to research and resolve complex situations. For the community, we are able to prepare tax returns accurately, professionally, and confidentially and, with the help of e-filing, we facilitate prompt refunds,” she said.

More information on this program is available on the college’s website www.carrollcc.edu.

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