VITA
California Volunteer Manual
Offered Winter Quarter (January-March) only
Coordinators
Janice Carr and
Jack Robison
Phone: (805) 756-2667
The IRS sponsors volunteer assistance programs and offers help to taxpayers in many of its offices and other community locations. The College of Business has served the community for many years, providing this service for clients by experienced Senior-level Accounting students.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, which we call VITA, involves providing free tax assistance at community locations (San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria) to individuals who need assistance with basic income tax return preparation. VITA is aimed at those for whom paid assistance may be out of reach, those who are non-English speaking, persons with disabilities, those with a low to moderate income, the elderly, and other individuals with special needs.
The program is expected to provide the following benefits to participating students:
- Provides a review of the basic tax rules learned in BUS 320, as well as supplementing that learning with various technical aspects of tax preparation and compliance.
- Provides instruction and practice in the preparation of California income tax returns
- Increases your communication skills through experience of interviewing clients and keeping a journal of your experiences.
- Provides exposure to a broad cross-section of the population. Students will gain knowledge about the general population's understanding of the tax laws and the problems they face in complying with its provisions.
Registration for BUS 416 is available during the Winter Quarter registration period.
More detailed information on VITA