Free income tax preparation is back at Cal State San Bernardino

February 10, 2010

news.csusb.edu | California State University San Bernardino
By Carmen Murillo-Moyeda

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program returns to Cal State San Bernardino this year with free income tax preparation services for low-income and elderly taxpayers. Through the VITA program, CSUSB accounting students will also provide tax preparation services at seven other San Bernardino County locations.

This year's program began on Feb. 5 and runs through Saturday, April 10.

The VITA service is presented by CSUSB's accounting department and is sponsored by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and the state Franchise Tax Board.

Free tax assistance will be available at Cal State San Bernardino on the fourth floor of Jack Brown Hall on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2-5 p.m., from Feb. 8 through March 17. No appointment is necessary.

Other locations that will offer the VITA program staffed by CSUSB students are:

Fridays, Feb. 5 through April 9, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at:

Our Lady of Assumption Church Parrish Hall at 796 West 48th St., San Bernardino (closed on Feb. 26), and Boys and Girls Club of Redlands at 1251 Clay St., Redlands (closed on Feb. 12)
Saturdays beginning Feb. 6 through April 10 (closed Feb. 13 in observance of President's Day) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., VITA volunteers will be at:

Norman F. Feldheym Central Library, 555 West 6th St., San Bernardino;
Goodwill Industries Clearance Center, 8120 Palm Ave., San Bernardino;
Northtown Community Center, 10071 Feron Blvd., Rancho Cucamonga;
Josephine Knopf Senior Center, 8384 Cypress Ave., Fontana; and
Catholic Charities Homework Center, 1859 Western Ave., San Bernardino

"This year we've increased our student tax preparers from 65 to 80 and added two additional sites," said Janet Courts, a lecturer in CSUSB's accounting department who has been the VITA coordinator for the past seven years.

Last year, student volunteers prepared more than 2,300 tax returns that included federal and state refunds totaling more than $1.1 million. Their work totaled nearly 5,400 hours of volunteer time.

Students have been trained to prepare basic tax returns, including itemized deductions, earned income credit, education credit, dependent care credit and child tax credit.

Volunteers are not able to prepare tax returns for nonresidents, small business owners, owners of rental properties or those who are married, filing separately.

To prepare tax returns, VITA volunteers are required to verify photo identificaton of those seeking assistance, along with Social Security cards for the taxpayer, his or her spouse and all dependents claimed for identification purposes. There are no exceptions to this rule. Taxpayers must also bring W-2s, 1099s and other pertinent tax documents and both husband and wife must be present to sign joint returns. Free electronic filing will be available. No appointment is necessary at any of the locations.

The VITA program is made possible through the generosity of Arrowhead United Way, the Inland Empire United Way, Catholic Charities, Diocese of San Bernardino, the Boys and Girls Club of Redlands, Goodwill Industries and a grant from the Internal Revenue Service.

Other partners and sponsors include CSUSB's College of Business and Public Administration, the Business Alliance, the Norman F. Feldheym Library, AGA, CSUSB's accounting and finance advisory board and the CPA firms of Ahern, Adcock and Devlin; Eadie and Payne; McGladry and Pullen; Rogers, Anderson, Malody and Scott; and Soren, McAdam and Christenson,

For more information, visit the VITA Web site at or contact Janet Courts at (909) 537-3992, or by e-mail at vita@csusb.edu.

For more information about Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university's Office of Public Affairs at (909) 537-5007 and visit the news Web site at news.csusb.edu.

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