Temple’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program returns for its twelfth year. Operating on Temple University’s Ambler Campus, VITA provides free tax preparation assistance to low- and middle-income individuals and families. In 2018, Fox School accounting majors helped prepare nearly 500 tax returns, and garnered almost $500,000 in tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue.

The recent partial government shutdown and the new federal tax bill create some challenges for tax preparers this year, but Dr. Steven Balsam, professor of accounting at the Fox School and director of the Temple VITA program, is ready. “But whether we have multiple changes, or just one, we always train our students to take their time, to be thorough, and to get our clients the largest refund possible,” he says. “Our emphasis is on quality, and that won’t change.”

Accounting students and alumni from Temple’s Fox School of Business will be available each Saturday from Feb. 9 to April 13 to assist with filing state and federal income tax returns. The tax return deadline is Monday, April 15.

To qualify for VITA, a client’s annual household income must not exceed $55,000 (whether filing independently or jointly). A client also is not eligible if he or she owns rental property or owns a business. Schedule an appointment by visiting fox.temple.edu/vita, emailing [click-for-email], or calling 215-326-9519.