VALLEY CITY (VCSU) – Valley City State University students provided free tax return preparation for community members this year, helping to prepare 50 tax returns free of charge.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program was offered by students and faculty from the VCSU Department of Business and is for low-to-moderate income taxpayers. The average cost to prepare a federal return runs nearly $200, meaning the VITA program was estimated to save community members up to $10,000 total.

“We had three students who participated and helped run the site this year,” said Wesley Wright, assistant professor and organizer for this year’s VITA program. “Without them, we would not have been able to help the community like we did. Along with helping the community, these clinics give our students the opportunity to develop strong leadership, tax law knowledge, and communication skills.”

The VITA program includes face-to-face meetings between students and the tax filer to complete their return. The returns are then reviewed by a faculty member. Every student volunteer working in the clinic has passed a tax preparation and code of standards exam to ensure returns are prepared accurately, maintain privacy, and ensure all personal information is secure.

VCSU students helping with the tax clinics this year were Abby Rasmussen, Andy Sophonsakulrat and Morgan Wangrud.

The VITA program is an IRS and community-sponsored program designed to assist low to moderate income taxpayers with the preparation of their annual tax returns at no cost.

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