Tag: VITA

The process of filing taxes can be chaotic and complicated, especially for low-income families. Wash U’s accounting honorary Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) has partnered with Gateway Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Community Coalition over the past three years to lessen these families’ burdens.

On the weekend of January 24th and 25th, around 60 students went through extensive training for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, and are now ready to help individuals and families prepare their tax returns.

The VITA program is a federal IRS-sponsored program designed to provide free tax services to local families with low to moderate income, the elderly, and those with disabilities. Last year, the Beta Alpha Psi chapter at Washington University was recognized as one of the three schools that have the most VITA volunteer hours off campus.

Guest Blogger: Jiahui (Angela) Zhu, BSBA/MACC 2015, VITA Coordinator

Over 85 students received VITA training in January.

Over 50 Olin students from the SMP, MBA and BSBA programs and 30 students from the law school participated in training this past Saturday in Simon Hall for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.  VITA is sponsored by the Gateway EITC Community Coalition (GECC) and provides free tax preparation for people regionally with less than $51,000 annual income.

Shiyu (Bridget) Han and Bryan O’Neal, Washington University Accounting Association (WUAA) student leaders (pictured above), have spearheaded reestablishing this free community service program at Olin this year. Students can participate on either a volunteer or for-credit basis.

There are about 30 locations spread across the St. Louis metro area, in both Illinois and Missouri.  During the 2011 filing season the GECC prepared 6,875 free tax returns, saving clients an estimated $1.7 million dollars in preparer fees alone.  This also resulted in almost $9 million in federal and state refunds entering our community’s economy.  You can learn more at http://gatewayeitc.org/