More than 60 accounting majors from Cal State Long Beach have agreed to volunteer their time this tax season to help low-and-moderate-income individuals, the handicapped, the elderly and limited English speakers file with the IRS.

For the next month, the students are offering free income tax preparation and filing through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, an IRS program that provides no-cost assistance to people who make $52,000 or less and need help preparing their own tax returns. 

Under the program, student preparers are certified by the IRS to prepare and e-file basic income tax returns and foreign student tax returns. In addition to offering these basic necessary services to members of the community who can not afford to pay a preparer, it also provides real-world experience for the volunteer students hoping to obtain full-time employment in the accounting field.

CSULB’s VITA program began offering its services on Feb. 3 and will run through Friday, March 28. 

Those interested in having their 2013 tax returns prepared through the VITA program should bring proof of identification, Social Security cards, including spouse’s and dependents’ (or a Social Security number verification letter issued by the Social Security Administration), birth dates 9including spouse’s and dependents’), current year’s tax package, wage and earnings statements (W-2, W-2G, 1099-R, from all employers); and interest and dividend statements from banks (1099 forms). The program does not prepare business returns or itemize deductions. Walk-ins are welcome.

The program operates out of Room 237 on the second floor of CSULB’s College of Business Administration (CBA) Building off of Bellflower Boulevard. Volunteers prepare returns from 8AM to 5PM. Mondays through Thursdays and 9AM to 3PM on Fridays. For more information, contact the program at [email protected]. Additional information can also be found on the Beta Alpha Psi website.

{FG_GEOMAP [33.782753431611404,-118.11735196616206] FG_GEOMAP}