For over 30 years, accounting students from Champlain College have participated in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, an IRS program offering free tax help for low to moderate-income taxpayers, elderly taxpayers, and military personnel.
The national program allows students to engage in a three-day workshop run in conjunction with the IRS to learn the fundamentals of personal income tax returns. If they pass the exam given after the workshop, they become VITA volunteers who work in partnership with a local community partner, the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOCEO) in Burlington, Vermont.
"This is actually a program that has been 30 years in the running for Champlain College, so this is an incredibly longstanding program that is a source of pride of community partnership," said Nicole Morris, professor of accounting at Champlain's Stiller School of Business. "CVOCEO really relies on Champlain College students to serve as volunteers or income tax assistance and preparation and over the years, we've had hundreds of students that have participated in the program."
Champlain is located in Chittenden, the largest county in Vermont, with its University Mall site completing over 1,400 tax returns and obtaining over $2.7 million in refunds for its residents. CVO's branch in the region is called Chittenden Community Action.
The level of training determines the level of tax preparation that a student will be able to do when at the volunteer sites. There is a test for each level that will make a student IRS-certified to prepare taxes, which includes questions on federal tax rules and regulations. Only personal income taxes are eligible for this program, and the exam sometimes offers tax scenarios to prepare students to serve clients.
"Our training volunteers are always people who have met the eligibility criteria from the IRS, which includes our students," said Morris. "Our senior volunteers as well as the site coordinator are also reviewing those tax returns to ensure the integrity of the process."
Students are then placed in small groups and sent to local community centers with site coordinators such as Robyn Bahar, who works at Casey Family Services in Winooski, Vermont. The private agency has been providing tax help to VITA qualifiers for over eight years and has executed the program with help from students, who make up about 75% of their volunteers.
"This experience requires a large time commitment of training and service. Students must become familiar with federal and state tax laws and with the computer software we use," said Bahar in a statement. "We rely on your students to keep our program going, and local families rely on them for one of the most important financial opportunities of the year."
After 40 hours of volunteer work, which students can organize based on their class schedules, volunteers will receive one credit toward their accounting degree. Morris said that experiential learning is very important to Champlain College, and that students need to apply what they've learned about accounting rules and principles outside the classroom. As such, she sees the VITA program as a great fit for students who want to explore their interests in both taxes and community service.
In addition to gaining valuable experience and academic credit, VITA volunteers have the opportunity to positively impact the lives of Vermont families. Students regularly assist residents with the Earned Income Tax Credit, which helps low- to moderate-income individuals get a tax break. Morris said that supporting these individuals through this process not only strengthens students' expertise, but develops their sense of empathy when interacting with clients.
"I think this program is a well-orchestrated and flexible opportunity, and ensuring that the students have the credible knowledge to be successful, and that they're building their own capacity with the certification itself is something incredibly valuable," said Morris. "It also becomes a source of pride that they can articulate this practical experience outside of their classroom experience. Ultimately, it's a chance to really make a difference in the lives of the folks in the community in which your college or university is based."
