Free Help Available For Low-Income Tax Filers

Mays Business School at Texas A&M University will again partner with the United Way of the Brazos Valley to provide free income tax return preparation to qualifying taxpayers in the local area.

Mays Business School students will serve as IRS-certified volunteer preparers for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. The students will prepare and electronically file federal income tax returns for eligible taxpayers at no cost.

To arrange to have their taxes prepared by volunteers, interested citizens should call the United Way information and referral service by dialing 2-1-1. The operators will confirm if they are eligible for the service and will provide information about which documents to bring when meeting with the assisting students. Appointments are not required to receive tax help, but are recommended to avoid waiting.

Tax return preparation assistance will be available from Friday, Jan. 30, through April 15, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Services will be offered at the Center for Regional Services at 3991 E. 29th St. in Bryan, as well as many other locations in Bryan/College Station and surrounding counties. The additional locations and dates can be determined by calling 2-1-1.

This is the second year Mays students will volunteer for VITA. Their efforts will net them more than “good karma”: The students will also earn course credit. Their volunteer service is part of the course “Special Topics in Tax — Federal Taxation of Low Income Filers: Socio-Economic Forces.” In the classroom, they will study federal income tax legislation and its impact on low-income filers, and the socio-economic forces impacting low-income families and individuals. In addition, each student must log 54 volunteer hours of service with the VITA program.

Adam Myers, instructor for the course, says working people who may not otherwise be required to file a tax return are encouraged to file a return to receive the benefits of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

The EITC is a special tax benefit designed to improve the financial situation of people who work but earn low wages, Myers says. Many filers who qualify for the EITC receive a cash refund.

Free electronic filing through VITA speeds receipt of the refunds, say officials from Mays and the United Way. A speedier refund could save a taxpayer substantially, as it may prevent some from being enticed by an expensive refund anticipation loan.

The refunds generated from the EITC also help the local economy, Myers says. The average 2008 EITC for Texans was $2,313.86, and this year, the EITC could put up to $5,657 in the pockets of eligible taxpayers. The new maximum credit for tax year 2009 is $5,657 for a family with three or more children; $5,028 for a family with two children; $3,043 for a family with one child; and $457 if there are no children.

For more information, call the United Way information and referral service by dialing 2-1-1.