Students volunteer, learn their field
Lower income taxpayers are getting their income taxes done professionally while students from two local colleges are honing their craft at a low-income tax preparation program in downtown Butler.
Jean Bowen, the coordinator of the county Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, has taken on 17 students from Butler County Community College and 36 from Slippery Rock University to help with individual tax preparation this tax season in addition to her other 15 other volunteer preparers.
The students get training on basic and advanced tax preparation and are then tested. Those who pass are eligible to volunteer at VITA inside the Center for Community Resources building on South Main Street.
“The IRS said the tax returns filled out by VITA had a 96 percent approval rate,” Bowen said. “That’s pretty significant.”
She said the students volunteer about four to six hours per week preparing state and federal income taxes for those earning $54,000 or less.
The basic taxes prepared by the students are always checked by an advanced preparer before being filed.
“You can sit in a classroom all day, but until you’re in a seat doing it, you’re not really gaining the full perspective (of income tax preparation),” said BC3 student Tim Kramer said.
To learn more about the VITA program, read Monday’s Butler Eagle.
