Cornell students provide volunteer tax help
Cornell College business students and the United Way of East Central Iowa are teaming up to provide a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site at Cole Library on Cornell’s campus.
VITA is a national IRS-sponsored program where community members get their taxes done for free by trained volunteers. Households with incomes of less than $64,000 qualify for services.
Cornell’s site will be open and available to the public, including students, on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings, 5–8 p.m., in Cole Library, Room 108. The program will run for ten weeks, from Jan 29–April 4. To schedule an appointment, call 319.382.5685 or visit uweci.org/VITA.
Cornell senior Drew Schaefer will be a tax preparer for VITA. This finance major says he’ll be interviewing the people who come to the site and will prepare their tax returns. He notes that a site coordinator reviews the documents before they’re finalized.
“I decided to get involved in the VITA tax program because I thought it was a great opportunity to provide an extremely helpful service in southeast Linn County while also learning a useful skill that I’ll have to apply for the rest of my life,” Schaefer said.
Cornell Professor of Economics and Business Santhi Hejeebu says this is not only great for the community but it’s helpful for students’ careers.
“Being a volunteer helps students learn concrete professional skills, including tax preparation, ethics, and professional communication,” Hejeebu said.
Those who want to get their taxes done need to bring a photo ID, social security card, W-2 documentation, and, if you had your taxes done last year, your tax return from last year to the appointment. When senior Brenna Gordon heard about this opportunity she didn’t hesitate to sign up to receive VITA training.
“I think this experience will help me with my future goals, as it strengthens my skills in both finance and communication,” said Gordon. “As a business management major, I am always looking for new ways to sharpen my skills in both of those areas. This opportunity has the added bonus of community involvement, and I simply couldn’t refuse!”
Header photo: Senior Carolynne Hilliard (left) works with another VITA volunteer and a client on Feb. 7, 2024. Photo by Jill Hawk.
