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Poole College Accounting Students Providing Free Tax Return Assistance

Photo of the Hillsborough Street entrance for the Poole College of Management
NC State Poole College of Management

VITA online tax return assistance

NC State Poole College of Management accounting students are again providing free online tax return assistance for individuals and households using the MyFree Taxes website.

The service is a free, safe and easy way for those earning less than $66,000 to file their federal and state tax forms online, prior to the April 17, 2019, deadline. The Poole College students have been certified to provide this help through the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax Return (VITA) program.

International Students, Scholars

The VITA team cannot assist with preparation of 1040NR (nonresident aliens) returns. International students and scholars can visit this NC State website  or the NC States University Controllers Office for more information on how to file taxes, or send an email request for assistance to ictquestions@ncsu.edu.

VITA Schedule

Four help sessions have been scheduled. They will be held on the NC State University campus in the basement of Nelson Hall, room B400, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the following dates:

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

No registration is required. People will be asked to check in when they arrive and service will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

To reach the service location, use the campus-side entrance to Nelson Hall and follow the VITA signs. Nelson Hall is located at 2801 Founders Drive in Raleigh, at the corner of Hillsborough Street and Dan Allen Drive. For assistance with ADA accommodations, contact NC State’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Equity at 919-513-0574 or by email at equalopportunity@ncsu.edu.

What to Bring

Following are the documents that participants must bring when coming to the tax return help session. To file taxes electronically on a married-filing-joint tax return, both spouses must be present to sign the required forms.

  • Proof of identification (photo ID)
  • Social Security cards for you, your spouse and dependents
  • An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) assignment letter may be substituted for you, your spouse and your dependents if you do not have a Social Security number
  • Proof of foreign status, if applying for an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN)
  • Birth dates for you, your spouse and dependents on the tax return
  • Wage and earning statements (Forms W-2, W-2G, 1099-R, 1099-Misc) from all employers
  • Interest and dividend statements from banks (Forms 1099)
  • All Forms 1095, Health Insurance Statements
  • Health Insurance Exemption Certificate, if received
  • A copy of last year’s federal and state returns, if available
  • Proof of bank account routing and account numbers for direct deposit such as a blank check
  • Total paid for daycare provider and the daycare provider’s tax identifying number such as their Social Security number or business Employer Identification Number
  • Forms 1095-A, B or C, Affordable Health Care Statements
  • Copies of income transcripts from IRS and state, if applicable
  • Form 1098-T for scholarship and education tax benefits
  • University statements including tuition paid for the year, scholarships received and receipts for books and other required educational expenses.

Poole College accounting students have been providing this service for more than a decade, said Ernest Carraway, professor of accounting and supervisor for the college’s VITA student volunteers.

Possible Impact of Tax Reform Law

Changes under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the far-reaching tax reform law enacted in December 2017, may result in some individuals receiving a smaller refund or needing to pay additional tax, if they had not adjusted their withholding following passage of the law, Carraway said. Read more at this IRS web page.