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Free student service keeps tax man at bay
Business school offers expertise dealing with filing of tax returns
By Ruthanne Johnson
rjohn180@mscd.edu

Photo by Amie Cribley • acribley@mscd.edu Miles Frasca receives help from Bethany Hartman with his taxes Feb. 20. Anyone who makes less than $40,000 per year can drop in and get free help with their taxes from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Tuesday until April 10 in the Tivoli’s Roger Braun Lounge.

Taxes can be confusing and frustrating for the average American citizen. It’s an annoying obligation that must be attended to each year. There are W2s and W2Gs, 1099s and 1098s, and schedules A, B and C, among a slew of others. The complicated nature of taxes drives many people to pay to have them prepared by a professional in lieu of doing their own.

But every Tuesday night through April 10, Metro accounting majors will offer free tax preparation under the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. The program was organized more than 30 years ago by Metro for low-income students and families. Participating accounting students will station themselves in the Roger Braun Lounge on the second floor of the Tivoli between 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

This year the free tax services are available for families with a household income of less than $40,000, with the service maxing out at around 30 clients per night.

“We have around 15 advanced accounting students involved in Metro’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program this year,” said Bob Jaros, a Metro accounting professor. “They have all been through the Income Tax I class and had three nights of training before starting.”

Jaros added that students operate the service just like a professional tax business. They conduct intake and interview sessions, review and input the taxpayer information, e-file the return and assemble a client copy to take home.

“The entire process from start to finish averages about an hour and a half for each client,” he said.
The fees for a professional tax service can be expensive, especially for college students living on a meager budget.

H&R Block’s rate for a simple 1040 form starts at $80, with Jackson Hewitt close on their heels at $79. Both fees sharply increase with each W2 and additional schedule that needs to be calculated. It is not unusual for taxpayers to dole out $100 to $200 for a professionally prepared tax return, and sometimes more when signing on for the Refund Application Loan – or instant refund – which can cost unwitting taxpayers up to a 250 percent interest rate on their refund.

The free tax service also gives business students an opportunity to gain real-world experience.

“Not only are we able to help the community, we are learning about the tax business,” Metro senior Linda Krizmanic said, adding that working with real clients was scarier than she initially thought it would be. “In class we are working with the hypothetical. The work we are doing here impacts the amount of money the taxpayer receives back, and I feel the responsibility.”

Jaros, a certified public accountant and tax attorney, remains on site to answer any questions and to help with more complicated tax return issues.

In addition to free tax preparation being offered in the Tivoli, the service is also being offered on Thursdays at the Emily Griffith Opportunity School on 12th Street and Colfax Avenue between 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Taxpayers wanting to use the free service are required to bring a photo ID, Social Security card, the Social Security cards of all dependents being claimed, and all other relevant tax forms such as W2s, 1099s and 1098s.

Both Jaros and Krizmanic suggest that taxpayers arrive as early as possible due to the popularity of the free service and the chance of being turned away once the service reaches its maximum capacity.