Rider Accounting Students Again Offer Free Tax Help

Fifteen Rider University accounting students have volunteered to offer tax help through the Internal Revenue Services’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program in the coming weeks to individuals who cannot afford professional tax help. 

Students will provide the services at the Bart Luedeke Center on Rider’s Lawrenceville campus at scheduled times between February 5 and March 1.  The schedule for the student teams follows: 

• On Tuesdays (February 5, 12, 19 and 26) from 6 to 9 p.m.
• On Thursdays (February 7, 14, 21, and 28) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• On Saturdays (February 9, 16, 23 and March 1) from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Donald Shaw, an adjunct professor of accounting, will serve as coordinator of the Rider volunteer effort this year.

“The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program allows student volunteers to gain practical experience to supplement their knowledge of taxation learned in the classroom,” Shaw said. “It also provides a free service to lower income families and senior citizens, who can benefit from this service.”

To be eligible for the programs, students must have successfully completed an upper-level taxation course and two January training courses before the start of their service.  Tax returns will once again be prepared using professional software on laptops. 

Individuals seeking assistance should bring pertinent tax documents such as W2 forms, interest statements, copies of last year’s return as well as any IRS tax item received in the mail. 

For more information, call Rider’s Office of University Communications at (609) 896 – 5192. 

Submitted on January 24, 2007

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