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It’s Tax Season; Poole’s VITA Team is Ready to Provide Free Tax Return Help

Please go to this story for the 2016 schedule for the tax return assistance offered by NC State Poole College accounting student volunteers. Thank you.
 

Note: This is for the 2013 Tax Season, 2015 Tax Dates are available here

NC State University students, employees and residents in the community with an annual household income below $57,000 can receive free assistance in completing their income tax returns. This is one of more than 200 VITA sites across the state offering this service. View the complete list here.

Poole College of Management accounting students, who have been certified by the Internal Revenue Service to participate in the annual Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, are again providing this service, on the following Saturdays during this year's tax season. The VITA team will be available from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., in the college's Computing Lab, B411 Nelson Hall.

2013 Dates

  • February 9
  • February 16
  • March 23
  • April 6

To access the computing lab, participants are asked to enter the building at the lower level doors on the southwest corner (campus side) of Nelson Hall. Nelson Hall is located at the corner of Hillsborough Street and Dan Allen Drive. (View a map and directions). Signs for the VITA program will be posted around Nelson Hall.

This year, approximately 25 students completed IRS training for VITA volunteers, which involves several hours of online learning and passing IRS certification tests.

The VITA students can prepare the following federal and North Carolina state income tax returns, as well as help individuals determine their qualifications for Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC), said Ernest Carraway, accounting lecturer and faculty coordinator for this service project. However, they will not be working with tax return forms for individuals with non-resident status.

What the VITA Team Can Do

As volunteers, the VITA students are trained and tested in current tax law using IRS material to prepare the following documents.

  • Form 1040EZ, 1040A, 1040
  • Schedules A, B, D, C-EZ, EIC, R, SE
  • Form 1040 â�� V
  • Form 1040 â�� SE
  • Form 2441 (child and dependent care credit)
  • Form 8863 (education credits)
  • Form 8880 (credit for qualified retirement savings contributions)
  • Form 8812 (additional child tax credit)
  • Form 8888 (allocation of refund)
  • Form 8917

What the Individual Must Do

In order to determine their eligibility for EITC and to efficiently prepare their returns, taxpayers wanting to use this service must bring with them the following items:

  • For those who are married and filing joint returns, both spouses must be present during the tax return preparation process
  • All Forms W-2 and 1099's
  • Information for other income
  • Information for all deductions/credits
  • A copy of last year's tax return
  • Proof of account for direct deposit of refund (e.g., voided check)
  • Social Security cards or Individual Taxpayer Identification notices/cards for you, your spouse, and/or dependents
  • Proof of identification for yourself and/or your spouse
  • Total paid to day care provider and their tax ID number
  • Birth dates for you, spouse, and/or dependents on the return

What the VITA Team Can Do

  • The students are not able to work with the following documents.
  • Schedule C with losses
  • Form SS-5 (request for social security number)
  • Form 8606 (non-deductible IRA)
  • Form 8615 (minor's investment income)
  • Form SS-8 (determination of worker status for purposes of federal employment taxes and income tax withholding)

Also, the Poole College accounting students will not be able to assist individuals who do not have a valid Social Security Number or Social Security Card. Individuals who have lost or misplaced their Social Security Card may visit a local Social Security Office and request a transcript of their Social Security Card. The Social Security Office can provide the transcript the same day and it can be used when preparing tax returns.

To find a Social Security Administration office near you, type in your five-digit ZIP code at this Social Security Office Locator website.

Another Option

Another option for completing tax returns is the new Facilitated Self Assistance (FSA) initiative started by the IRS. It is for those who have a simple return, an email address and household income less than $57,000 per year. Under FSA, taxpayers prepare their own returns using an online interview-based software, while IRS-certified volunteers stand ready to assist with tax questions.

Prior to beginning the FSA process, have the following:

  • Correct name spelling, Social Security number and date of birth for everyone claimed on the return
  • All tax documents including W-2's, interest statements and 1099's.

You do not have to complete the entire return in one sitting. The software allows you to save your information and return to the site later.

  • Individuals can also complete their tax returns at this website.