Students volunteer for 'VITA'L cause

Image courtesy of Lauren SaleSt. Bonaventure University's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program opened the doors to its Olean Center Mall office for this years tax season Feb. 1. Since then, student volunteers have prepared 280 returns, setting them on track to exceed last year's total of 500.

"The national VITA program was initiated in 1969 under the IRS' mandate to provide free taxpayer assistance to people who could not afford a paid preparer," according to www.sbu.edu/business. "The VITA program brings federal and state income tax benefits to people with low and moderate incomes by providing free income tax preparation and e-filing."

The first requirement a family must meet to qualify for VITA's assistance is a household income of $49,000 or less. More restrictions apply, and anyone interested in an eligibility screening can call (716) 373-0123 for more details.

St. Bonaventure's VITA program began in 2004 and has 48 volunteers preparing and reviewing tax returns this year, Gregory A. Smith, VITA assistant site coordinator, wrote in an e-mail. The volunteer staff is made of two Bonaventure faculty members, two United Way volunteers and four alumni. The rest are junior, senior and graduate students involved in the Bonaventure Accounting Association and Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE).

At the close of business Tuesday, the group had prepared 280 returns for $560,000 in refunds, Smith wrote.

For the 2009 tax season, St. Bonaventure's VITA office prepared about 500 returns for approximately $750,000 in refunds.

"We are well on our way to exceeding that mark and we have (three-and-a-half) weeks left," Smith wrote. "The appointments are starting to slow down but not by much."

The office, located near Subway and JCPenney, is open Monday through Friday with morning, afternoon and evening appointment times available, according to a Feb. 1 university news release.

The program is a great way for student volunteers to gain experience in accounting, Susan Anders, professor for accounting and VITA adviser, wrote in an e-mail.

"The VITA program is a 360-degree experience that simulates a high-volume accounting firm," she wrote. "Students gain experience interviewing clients, preparing tax returns, checking each other's work and explaining the completed tax returns to the clients. Many of our students and graduates have credited VITA for helping them to obtain internships and post-graduation jobs as well as passing the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) Exam."

Smith echoed much of the same sentiment.

"The experience of dealing with clients on technical issues is invaluable," he wrote. "I have seen many students that are well-versed in the technical jargon of tax but could not explain a return to a client. This was because the student could not convert the jargon to plain-speak. We are three weeks into our season and I would say 98 percent of our preparers can now explain the returns in plain-speak, even some very technical issues. This gained ability is invaluable in the business world."

In addition to gaining necessary job experience, volunteers leave feeling good about helping out the less fortunate, Smith wrote.

"Although many students start off just volunteering, they end up seeing and feeling how VITA follows Franciscan tradition of giving back to the community," he wrote.

In addition to the tax preparers, front desk volunteers have also played a key role in keeping the operation running smoothly, Smith wrote.

One of the front desk volunteers, Kevin Penner, a sophomore accounting major, said while he is still new to VITA, he already feels good about the service he provides.

"It's a great opportunity to gain experience in the accounting field while helping people that are less fortunate get their taxes done," Penner said.

VITA invites those who are interested and meet the guidelines for the free services to call (716) 373-0123 and make an appointment.

e-mail: vitronmj@sbu.edu