The accounting club hosted a meeting where they discussed the opportunities of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.

Ashley Phillips, associate professor of accounting, discussed the importance of understanding tax compliance, noting that most tax professionals start by preparing returns.

The VITA program helps prepare tax returns for lower and moderate-income households. The program’s eligibility criteria and the process of preparing and filing returns are detailed. 

Phillips emphasized the importance of the VITA program in providing free tax assistance and its impact on the community.

Phillips said the VITA program has many training and volunteer opportunities as well. Students must undergo the certification process by preparing a certain number of returns and completing evaluations. Credit options are also available for volunteers who take the class for credit.

Phillips said the benefits of volunteering include gaining practical experience and improving communication skills.

Sydney Mack, an accounting graduate student, said, “I think it was really interesting because at that point, I hadn’t done a tax internship. So, being able to get in and actually be able to prepare a return was very helpful for me to connect the dots from classes.”

Mack said, “In class, we are learning more about roles and all these different numbers and how things go together. It really didn’t click for me and so I ended up doing the tech internship this summer. I think that a lot of stuff I learned helped me be a little bit ahead of the other interns that hadn’t done the VITA program before.”

Mack said, “Sometimes you see people every day, but you don’t really connect with them. But, I think that you do get to rely on the teachers and the other students that you’re also taking classes with.”

Elijah Sawa, a junior accounting major, said, “I think that the program was great and the meeting was informative. I feel like we should extend the meeting outside of school to inform more lower-income families or people so that we can help them too. I feel like it’s bad that this is my first time hearing about this program even though it has been around for a while.”

Sawa said this program could benefit a multitude of UCA students.

“I believe that for students and volunteers, it can be very helpful for their career if they decide to pursue tax because what we learn in class isn’t always how it is applied in the real world.”

The VITA program runs from January to April 15.

Students interested in the VITA program can reach out to Phillips via email at [email protected].

Students from any major can participate in the VITA program.