Eastern students bring tax savings to Willimantic residents

Students from Eastern’s College of Business are providing cost-free tax preparation services to local community members through the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) this tax season. The national program offers free tax preparation services through mid-April for households making less than $69,000 annually.

Willimantic’s VITA site, located at the Windham Heights Learning Center, is a partnership between Eastern’s Small Business Resource Center, United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut, and The Village for Families and Children. For more than 20 years, Eastern VITA volunteers have helped steer hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax refunds back to the local economy.

This tax season, Windham’s VITA location is staffed by 18 student volunteers who provide income-tax preparation services to community members. The students practically apply skills learned in class, having completed IRS tax certification prior to the site’s opening.

According to VITA, each volunteer hour results in an average tax refund of more than $2,100. The extra net income provides families with resources for necessities and discretionary spending.

Site coordinator and accounting Professor Chelagat Misiko said: “Experience in the VITA program helps students bridge the gap between theory and practice in the real world. Students learn what it really means to be in the work environment. Their role as tax preparers allows them to gain knowledge on tax law at a basic level, and some even acquire advanced knowledge through training provided in the program.”

Services provided at VITA are offered in both English and Spanish. “Tax assistance should not be limited by language,” said Miles Lovell, graduate intern in the dean’s office for the School of Education and Professional Studies, and one of three site coordinators for Windham’s VITA location. “Providing multilingual services ensures accessibility, reduces barriers, and allows clients to feel comfortable asking questions about sensitive financial matters in their preferred language.

“Programs like VITA ensure that working families, senior citizens, and multilingual households receive the refunds and tax credits they are entitled to. ... For many individuals, those refunds can make a meaningful difference."

Senior accounting major and student volunteer Talon Kibbey helped several clients each receive more than $10,000 in tax refunds. “It’s important for members of the community to have someone versed in tax law prepare their returns,” he wrote. “You don’t want to pay more than you owe, and you don’t want to receive less than you are owed.”

Kibbey appreciated the extensive training he received in the VITA program. “A big portion of the knowledge that gets reinforced is centered around tax laws. Coinciding with this is learning to navigate tax software,” he wrote. “Beyond that, one of the more important skills I've been able to reinforce through VITA is how to interact with clients.”

According to Eric Harrison, President and CEO of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut, more than 40% of Connecticut households face working or extreme poverty, and tax savings provided by VITA are often reinvested into local businesses and communities.

More on Windham's VITA site:

• Address: Windham Heights Learning Center, 70 Boston Post Road, Willimantic, CT 06226.

• Hours: Saturdays, Sundays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Appointments: Visit 211ct.org/taxhelp/ or call (800) 203-1234

• Languages: English, Spanish.