YSU’s VITA Program continues to assist local taxpayers

Youngstown State University’s Lariccia School of Accounting and Finance will serve as a site for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program and will begin Feb. 2.

The program, in which YSU business students and community volunteers provide free tax preparation and filing, requires taxpayers to make appointments to drop off and pick up their tax materials at the Williamson College of Business Administration on the YSU campus.

Appointments can be made online. For questions, call 330-941-2507.

Taxes will be prepared on Feb. 2, 9, 16, 17; March 1, 15, 22, 29; and April 5 and 12. Drop off and pick up will be at the Williamson College of Business Administration building at designated appointment time.

The Mahoning County Financial Stability Partnership will also host a Financial Fair Saturday, Feb. 17, at YSU. Ten partners from the Financial Stability Partnership will be vendors at this event to provide financial education and support to all individuals in attendance. Short seminars will be offered to clients being served as they wait to have their taxes prepared. The goal of this event is to assist each family in making responsible fiscal decisions with their tax return money and for their financial future.

VITA provides free assistance to all taxpayers, including but not limited to persons with disabilities, students and senior citizens. Taxpayers must provide wage and earnings statements (Form W-2) from all employers, interest statements from banks (Forms 1099), a copy of last year’s tax return if available and other relevant information about income and expenses. Taxpayers also need to bring social security cards for all people on the tax return and a photo ID card. Taxpayers with complex returns may need to see an accountant.

In preparation for the VITA program, business students and community volunteers are required to go through more than 50 hours of intensive training and pass IRS Certifications. Business students from the Williamson College of Business Administration also have the opportunity to work with professional volunteers who are WCBA alumni with extensive backgrounds in tax preparation. Students are not required to be upperclassmen; in fact, this year’s volunteers include freshmen through graduate students. The intensive training program is enough to qualify every volunteer.

"As an accounting student at YSU, participating in the VITA program was a natural option,” explained Collin Meehan from Lake Milton, Ohio, senior accounting student at YSU. “The VITA program not only provides beneficial tax services to members of the Youngstown community and the surrounding area, but also gives volunteers and students valuable income tax preparation experience and the opportunity to give back to their community.”

The Williamson College of Business Administration is located on 221 North Hazel Street between Rayen Avenue and Wood Street at the YSU campus.