Law students help taxpayers file
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| Local citizens get help on their tax-returns from W&L law students.(DREW SCARANTINO/Rockbridge Report) |
Some Rockbridge County taxpayers are getting free help on their tax-returns this year. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, or VITA, pairs Washington and Lee University law students with low- to moderate-income local residents who need help with their tax returns.
The law students and taxpayers meet in W&L’S Wilson Hall on Monday nights during tax season. From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., VITA volunteers work through recent changes in tax law, exemption claims and tax returns. Patrick Bittner, a third-year law student and senior coordinator for VITA, says the program is a real help to local taxpayers who are earning less than $40,000 a year.
VITA’s basic idea is to help out low-income local taxpayers, Bittner said, “just so they…have an idea of what is going on.”
Volunteers spend a lot of the time answering basic questions about tax returns, he said.
“But it’s…nice to have somebody else who can do it for you,” he said.
Michael Duffy, another volunteer, says the need for low-cost programs is at an all-time high. Duffy said that 10 years ago, simple returns prepared by a professional cost the taxpayer $50 to $100. Now it’s closer to $200.
“The fee structures at even some well-respected places charge you by form, $30 or $40 for an additional W2,” Duffy said. “Generally speaking that’s five minutes worth of work. It doesn’t really justify a $30 or $40 increase.”
VITA is a national program sponsored by the IRS. Volunteers undergo a rigorous certification process involving online tests and training. Many students see VITA as a chance to get involved in the local community. Duffy sees it as a way to get his feet wet in the world of tax law.
“I’ve been with it [the program] for five years, two at W&L,” Duffy said. “And I hope to be with it in the foreseeable future.”
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