Certified student volunteers offer free tax assistance at University of Oregon

EUGENE, Ore. -- (Feb. 24, 2009) -- Students at the University of Oregon’s College of Business and School of Law are joining efforts to offer free tax assistance for low-to-moderate income individuals through the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

Business and law students who are also certified VITA volunteers can help low-to-moderate income individuals and/or families earning up to $42,000 annually to prepare tax returns and file them electronically for free.

Tax assistance through the VITA program is available on a drop-in basis from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays from Feb. 21 to April 11 (with one exception of March 21 due to spring break), at UO’s Lillis Business Complex, Accounting Suite, fourth floor, 955 E. 13th Ave.

Individuals seeking tax assistance through VITA should bring the following documents:

• Proof of identification
• Social Security cards for you, your spouse and dependents and/or a Social Security number verification letter issued by the Social Security Administration
• Birth dates for you, your spouse and dependents on the tax return
• Current year’s tax package, if you received one
• Wage and earning statement(s) such as Form W-2, W-2G, 1099-R, from all employers
• Interest and dividend statements from banks (Form 1099)
• A copy of last year’s federal and state tax returns, if available
• Bank routing numbers and account numbers for direct deposit
• Total paid for day care provider and the day care provider's tax identifying number (the provider's Social Security number or the provider's business Employer Identification Number)
• To file taxes electronically on a married filing joint tax return, both spouses must be present to sign the required forms.

The VITA program at the University of Oregon is organized through the national scholastic and professional accounting fraternity Beta Alpha Psi, (http://bap.uoregon.edu) and the Pro Bono Program, (http://www.law.uoregon.edu/probono/). This is the VITA program’s fifth year at the University of Oregon.

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