Free Income Tax Service available at BTC

BTC will offer the Internal Revenue Service Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, a free service intended to help low income and elderly citizens file accurate and timely tax returns. VITA will be accepting appointments on Tuesdays beginning on Feb. 5 continuing through April 2. Appointment times will be from 11:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.  

With tax time upon us, it can be a nerve-racking time for some. VITA provides a free service to help ensure taxes are done correctly allowing for the maximum refund.

Second-year BTC Accounting students will be preparing taxes for the 2018 tax year under the supervision of their instructor Kay Fratianne, CPA. The participating Accounting students are trained in tax preparation and use electronic tax filing software to process tax return information to the IRS. Services are limited to common filing requirements and not all tax situations qualify for the VITA services. Client information is handled in a confidential and professional manner.

“The VITA program allows our students to hone their skills in a real-world working environment while under the supervision of their instructors,” said instructor Patti DeGarmo. “It is a win/win — students learn and understand the importance of giving back to the local community while providing a valuable service to those in need.”

The Administrative Support Professional students, under the supervision of DeGarmo, will provide the support services for this program. The students are currently taking appointments. There will be no appointments made for Tuesday, Mar. 12 due to Spring Break.