Accounting Students to Offer Free Tax Preparation Services Starting February 2
Accounting students from Montana State University’s Jake Jabs College of Business
and Entrepreneurship are offering free help preparing tax returns for MSU students
and individuals who made less than $58,000 last year.
The 2016 help sessions will be held on the MSU campus in Jabs Hall 215 on the following
Tuesdays and Saturdays: Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23; March 1, 5, 8, 22, 29; and April 2. No
appointment is necessary and sign-up sheets will be posted at 5:00 p.m. before each
Tuesday session and 9:00 a.m. before each Saturday session. Tuesday sessions will
be held from 5:30-7:00 p.m. while Saturday sessions will be 9:30-11:00 a.m.
Tax assistance for international students and employees begins Feb. 16. At the sessions,
upper-division accounting students will be available to prepare federal and state
income tax returns and answer tax questions. Free electronic filing will be available
for most 1040 forms.
Individuals who are interested in free tax preparation assistance should bring their
2015 W-2 forms, Forms 1095-A, B, or C (Affordable Care Statements), other tax documents,
picture ID, social security cards, and copies of their 2014 tax returns (if available).
International students and employees should also bring their passports and visas.
The student accounting volunteers are part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance,
or VITA, program, which was established by the Internal Revenue Service to assist
people who may find it difficult to pay for tax preparation services. The program
also gives accounting students practical experience.
Each student accounting volunteer has passed an IRS tax preparation exam, completed
at least one comprehensive tax course, received specific training related to common
tax issues and has access to a variety of federal and state reference materials. The
sessions are sponsored by the MSU Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship
and Beta Alpha Psi, an honorary organization for financial information students and
professionals.