Friday, February 05, 2016

The University of North Carolina Wilmington’s IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) will be offering free tax-preparation assistance to student and local taxpayers with an income of $63,000 or less. All VITA volunteers are UNCW students. Taxpayers with a higher income may also attend, but those who wish to file their taxes will be charged a fee.

Taxpayers will input their own tax information into federal and state tax-return software, and UNCW students trained as IRS-certified volunteers will offer assistance. This service, sponsored annually by the UNCW Department of Accountancy and Business Law and Beta Alpha Psi, benefits both the community and the student volunteers, according to Victoria Hansen, an accounting professor with the Cameron School of Business.

Eligible taxpayers will be able to file their tax returns for free, and every participant will have an opportunity to consult with the certified volunteers, she said. Tax preparation appointments can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour.

“Students will gain an increased understanding of tax law, the tax filing system and also gain valuable communication skills,” Hansen added.

Assistance will be offered on multiple days in the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, located at 803-G S. College Road. Free parking will be available in the front and back of the building. Taxpayers may come on any of the following dates:

Saturday, Feb. 20 (10 a.m.-4 p.m.)

Saturday, March 5 (10 a.m.-4 p.m.)

Wednesday, March 16 (5-8 p.m.)

Saturday, March 19 (10 a.m.-4 p.m.)

Wednesday, March 30 (5-8 p.m.)

Saturday, April 2 (10 a.m.-4 p.m.)

Wednesday, April 6 (5-8 p.m.)

Saturday, April 9 (10 a.m.-4 p.m.)

For more information, please visit the VITA webpage or call 910.962.3776.

--James Nagy

#CSB