University of Toledo student volunteers helped nearly 100 community members file their income taxes ahead of Tax Day on Tuesday, April 15.
UToledo hosted qualifying taxpayers for individual appointments on Feb. 22, March 15, April 12, through the U.S. Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs. Facilitated by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation Toledo in partnership with United Way of Greater Toledo, the programs are a yearly initiative offering free basic tax return preparation to qualified taxpayers at several sites across Toledo.
Sara DeHaven, a second-year law student, and Mary Gstalder, an accounting senior, volunteer to help a community member file her taxes through a free program run by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service on Saturday, April 12, in the Law Center.
UToledo student volunteers represented College of Law and the John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation, specifically the professional fraternity Beta Alpha Psi.
“This was a great opportunity to translate what we learn in class into real-world action, serving our community,” said Marilyn Bourell, an accounting and entrepreneurship and innovation junior and president of Beta Alpha Psi. “The combination of the educational benefits of doing this work with the gratitude that the clients feel for our help is very rewarding.”
The tax preparation service complements the year-round work of the College of Law’s Tax Controversy Clinic, through which law students gain practical experience while offering free assistance to taxpayers handling disputes with the IRS.
“We work with taxpayers to resolve the negative ramifications when they do not file their returns, so keeping people out of that trouble is a real community service,” said Lucas Keller, clinic program coordinator.
