Free income tax assistance programs gearing up for season

Jan. 11—Two local organizations are gearing up for this year's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs, which offer free tax return preparation.

VITA offers free tax help from IRS-certified volunteer preparers to people who generally make $70,000 a year or less, persons with disabilities and those with limited English-speaking skills.

TCE volunteers provide free tax help to seniors age 60 and older and specialize in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues.

Hartwick College offers the only VITA and TCE sites in a 100-mile radius that operate year-round, with support from 35 community partners.

Li Lou, Hartwick assistant professor of accounting and VITA and TCE site coordinator, brought the programs to Hartwick in August 2019.

She had several years of experience serving as an IRS partner for the programs, which she led in North Carolina for three sites, including University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University and Wake Forest University.

According to Lou, Hartwick students have prepared 2,860 federal and/or state returns for clients from 45 counties and those from 19 states, saving their clients more than $423,180 in tax filing fees, reaching $2.59 million in tax refunds, tax credits and Economic Impact Payments — stimulus checks — since 2019.

In 2022 alone, the volunteer preparers processed $1,120,383 in tax refunds, the boost coming from stimulus checks, Lou said.

"The economic benefits we bring back to the communities is huge," she said.

This year's VITA program at Hartwick is different from past years in terms of increased student participation, from six volunteer tax preparers in 2020 to 25 last year.

They also come from various majors — not just accounting and business students, but political science, art, nursing, computer science, education and biology majors as well.

Lou said that every student who has served as a volunteer tax preparer at Hartwick either pursued further education or found a job upon after graduation — some are even working at the IRS.

The number of taxpayers seeking assistance through the programs at Hartwick increased tenfold since the program began, from 164 people in 2020 to 1,642 in 2023.

Lou said VITA and TCE clients are low to moderate income, with most — 92.8% — at or below the poverty level. The clients at the higher end of the income threshold tend to be seniors, veterans, people with a disability or English as a second language speakers.

Hartwick is the only academic institutions serving upstate New York offer foreign student income tax assistance to international students attending Hartwick, SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Delhi, SUNY Albany, Colgate University, Cornell University and Jamestown Community College.

"Students came to United States study here [but] their tax laws are different," Lou said, "plus they have no knowledge about the U.S. tax law, but they are required to file a form called 843, no matter if they have income or not."

The Hartwick VITA/TCE programs are certificated for basic and advanced tax returns — except income from Puerto Rico, since Spanish language proficiency is required to prepare the returns — and specializes in military, international income and foreign students and scholars.

Lou said that so far, Hartwick's student tax-preparers' tax returns achieved a 100% acceptance rate with zero errors.

"It's like it's a triple win," Lou said community, students, and also taxpayers. They all get benefits from this program."

The VITA and TCE programs at Hartwick caught the attention of the IRS last year after Lou led the painting of the Hartwick wall at West and Center streets to publicize the programs.

In addition to being nominated as a 2022 IRS Champion of Training and a Frank Nolden Award, which recognizes those organizations that embodies VITA/TCE as a cause rather than a program, the IRS held its first College VITA Volunteer Career Expo in April 2023 for juniors, seniors and graduating students at Hartwick.

To make a reservation for Hartwick's VITA or TCE program call 607-431-4338 or email vita@hartwick.edu with name, phone number and zip code.

The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County also offers VITA and TCE tax return preparation at 99 North Broad St. in Norwich.

Alice Andrews, Cooperative Extension finance coordinator and VITA site coordinator, said Thursday, Jan. 11 that the program is now in its 21st year, helping an average of 350 to 450 people per year.

Although a schedule has not been determined yet, the site has operated in the past after work hours a couple of nights a week.

Andrews said that the biggest thing she looks forward to is seeing the benefit of the program returning money to clients and the community.

During last year's tax return season, the Cooperative Extension's VITA program refunded $541,239 to clients, much of it though the Earned Income Tax Credit.

To schedule an appointment at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County, call Andrews at 607-334-5841 ext. 1118 starting Jan. 29.