VITA program helps students, families alike

Inside the IU Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site in the Maurer School of Law, low-income taxpayers can receive unexpected benefits, credits and refunds.

The Internal Revenue Service VITA program provides free tax assistance to low-income, elderly, disabled or limited-English-speaking Bloomington taxpayers.
On Wednesday and Thursday nights through March 7, as well as two Saturday sessions on March 2 and 23 in Kelley School of Business 200 and 202, student volunteers lend their tax expertise to individuals and families making under $51,000 per year. 

“When people leave happy, that’s the most rewarding part, knowing that you made someone’s day better,” said David Bartoletti, third year law student and one of the coordinators of the VITA program at IU.

The tax assistance is provided by more than 40 IRS trained and certified student volunteers, mostly undergraduate law or business students.

The service can dramatically change a family’s fiscal situation. With the volunteers’ help, clients are able to claim tax credits they would not have known about otherwise. Law student and program coordinator Patrick Thomas said the most notable is the Earned Income Tax Credit, which he said is the largest anti-poverty initiative.

“A family of four can get in excess thousands of dollars of what they paid out,” he said. “For a low-income family, that’s critical money that goes towards paying rent, paying for food, paying for those critical things you need to live.”

Thomas said the VITA program is especially important given that Bloomington is one of the poorest cities in the nation. According to a 2011 report from the American Census Bureau, Bloomington is the third poorest city of its size in the United States.

“There is some serious poverty in Bloomington, and people struggle. Our service is really important in redressing that,” he said.

Kay Huang, a VITA coordinator for the Kelley School of Business, said she recalls a particular experience helping an elderly couple file their taxes.

“We chatted afterwards, and I found out they had a disabled daughter,” Huang said.
As a result of their daughter’s disability, the couple was able to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit, which led to a four-digit tax return.

Thomas said VITA also helps Bloomington clients by simplifying tax law.

“It’s really important to assist especially low-income taxpayers in getting their returns,” he said. “Tax law is exceedingly complicated. Even for simple returns there can be really thorny issues.”

The VITA tax service is also an invaluable source for many IU students, Thomas said. International students in particular utilize the VITA program due to a lack of knowledge of the American tax system, as well as the language barrier.

“Historically, about 80 percent of our clients are the international student population,” Thomas said.

One student looking to file her taxes was first year graduate student Yanfei Chen.

Originally from China, Chen learned about the service from a friend and said she was eager to take advantage of it.

“I’m grateful that the program exists,” Chen said. “Money is very important for international students, because we need it to get around this country.”

In the end, she said she ended up receiving all her taxes back.
 
“I was really happy to hear the news,” she said.