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The Business and Administration majors at Olivet College are hosting a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) clinic for anyone in Eaton County to assist with filing their taxes. The clinic will be hosted in the bottom floor of Burrage Library every Sunday starting on Feb. 5 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. until April 15. Burrage Library is located at 333 S. Main St., Olivet.
“Volunteer Income Tax Assistance or VITA is a service put on by the accounting students here at the college,” said Andrew Waller, senior at Olivet College and site coordinator for the VITA clinic. “The class is taken as a service-learning credit where we build our professional skills in not just taxes but also client services. Each student is trained at the intake level to help clients understand and process their forms and information. As students we prepare the return and send it to an advanced certified student or the professor for review.”
“I chose to take it for more credits because of the experience. It’s a great stepping stone into the professional world and a great talking point when interviewing,” Waller said.
According to benefits.gov, “The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who generally make $54,000 or less, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and limited English-speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns.” It is a free service.
Jackie Looser, associate professor of Business Administration at Olivet College, said if students need an earlier time, they can call 211 and request to have taxes done at Olivet College. The 211 number operates from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For information, contact Professor Looser at jlooser@olivetcollege.edu.
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