For those who dread filing their taxes, Temple University students are here to help—and with no out-of-pocket expense.
Accounting students and alumni from Temple’s Fox School of Business will be available each Saturday from Feb. 3 to April 7 to assist with filing state and federal income tax returns. (The tax return deadline is Tuesday, April 17.)
This year marks the 11th year of Temple’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which operates on Temple University’s Ambler Campus. In 2017, Fox School accounting majors helped secure more than $500,000 in tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue for their 400-plus clients. (Click here to watch a video about VITA.)
The newly passed federal tax bill will create uncertainty this year, said Dr. Steven Balsam, professor of accounting at the Fox School and director of the Temple VITA program.
“Most of our clients will ask about the tax bill and how it will impact their returns,” he said. “Our students are there to help and to educate the client. There is very little that will change on the 2017 return, with new tax bill primarily affecting 2018 and later years. But whether we have multiple changes this year, or just one, we always train our students to take their time, to be thorough, and to get our clients the largest refund possible. Our emphasis is on quality, and that won’t change.”
To qualify for VITA, a client’s annual household income must not exceed $54,000 (whether filing independently or jointly). A client also is not eligible if he or she owns rental property or owns a business. Clients can schedule an appointment by visiting fox.temple.edu/vita, emailing [click-for-email], or calling 215-326-9519.
WHAT: Temple University’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program
WHERE: Temple University Ambler Campus
WHEN: Saturdays, from Feb. 3 – April 7
Media RSVP: Christopher A. Vito, associate director of communications and media relations, Fox School of Business | 215-204-4115 or [click-for-email]