VITA: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

To help ease the stress and anxiety of tax time, Briar Cliff University business and accounting students are offering free income tax preparation assistance for elderly and low income taxpayers from Tuesday, Feb. 27 through Thursday, April 12, 2007.

Assists Siouxland residents with their basic federal, Iowa, and Nebraska income tax returns free of charge.

VITA will be available at BCU on:
Tuesdays & Thursdays  from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Students participating in VITA have received basic income tax preparation instruction, including the completion of an IRS training course. VITA is a national program intended to assist low income and elderly taxpayers, and it’s offered in conjunction with the IRS’s Office of Taxpayer Education. In 2006, BCU student volunteers helped prepare more than 340 returns for local residents.

“The VITA program gives Briar Cliff students the opportunity to apply their business knowledge while providing a valuable service to the Siouxland community,” noted Erin Cornelsen, Assistant Professor of Accounting at Briar Cliff University.

Taxpayers will need to bring the following with them:
1.  photo identification
2.  wage and earnings statements (Form W-2)
3.  interest statements from banks (Form 1099)
4.  a copy of last year’s tax return and
5.  other relevant information about income and expenses, including dividend statements.

No appointment is necessary.

For more information about VITA, please contact Erin Cornelsen by email at erin.cornelsen@briarcliff.edu or by calling (712) 279-5562.