The Volunteer Income
Tax Assistance Program (VITA), involves volunteers who provide free tax help at
community locations to individuals who need tax help with basic tax return
preparation. VITA is aimed at those for whom paid tax help may be out of reach,
those who are non-English speaking, persons with disabilities, those with a low
income, the elderly, and other individuals with special needs.
The Accounting Department
at AB Tech is completing its 20th year of sponsoring VITA volunteer
assistance. Volunteers are usually members of the IMA student chapter or
enrolled in one of the tax classes offered by the department. Volunteers
enthusiastically praise the VITA program for giving them “real life” experience
in tax preparation, electronic filing, interviewing and communication. As one
participant said, “This program gives me the opportunity to interact with others
and polish my tax skills in a way that no textbook can. It has deepened my
understanding of the whole process.”
VITA efforts are
underwritten by the Internal Revenue Service which provides training materials,
software and computers for use at community sites. The Accounting Department and
the IMA Student Chapter provide additional sponsorship on the AB Tech campus.
