SF State students don’t have to look far for help this income tax season. In fact, they don’t even have to leave campus. A visit to the H and J trailers behind Hensill Hall puts students in touch with volunteers who will prepare income tax statements in about an hour.

And the best part is, for low income individuals, tax help is completely free.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance is a nationwide program sponsored by the IRS. Beta Alpha Psi, the student accounting and finance organization at SF State, with help from the Accounting Student Organization and other certified volunteers, will run the program six days a week until April 15, the income tax filing deadline.

“Filling your taxes is just like doing your homework. You shouldn’t wait until the last minute,” said Donald Tai, VITA site co-manager and Beta Alpha Psi member. “The earlier you do it, the sooner you get the refund and the money.”

Financial aid requirements and upcoming midterms are reasons students should not wait to file their income taxes and use the VITA program, said Tai, 25, a double major in accounting and information systems. He explained that students need their tax return information before early March if they want financial aid for the 2008-2009 school year.

Tai also said filing taxes early gives people extra time should they actually have to pay the government.

“Plus, if you owe money, you have more days to come up with money to pay the IRS,” he said.

There are a few, reasonable expectations for those who seek help. Only California residents ma-king less than $38,000 the last tax year qualify for the program, VITA officials said. Taxpayers must also bring a valid photo ID, social security card, gather any W-2, 1099 or 1098T forms that employers gave them. In order to get refunds back as soon as possible, student are encouraged to bring their bank routing information for direct deposit. Legal U.S. residents should bring their Individual Tax Information Number cards and those of their family members as well.

SF State VITA coordinator Amy Tien, 23, said that not enough SF State students take advantage of the program.

“VITA is underutilized,” said Tien, a Beta Alpha Psi member. “A lot of students don’t even know the program exists.”

Both Tien and Tai said they want to assure taxpayers that VITA volunteers are well qualified and trained to IRS standards.

“To give anyone unsure of whe-ther to come here or not, last year, we did over 800 tax returns,” Tai said.

SF State VITA has 200 certified tax volunteers ready to help file income taxes, Tien said. She explained that volunteers completed four days of intense training in January and had to pass a test at the end of training to become certified VITA volunteers.

“In training, everything that volunteers need to know is taught,” Tien said, adding the majority of VITA volunteers are SFSU accounting and finance students.
Clay Tun, VIT

A site co-manager, said returns are processed on computers using e-file, and that the VITA process takes four steps: determining if a person qualifies for the program, interviewing the taxpayer about basic tax information, inputting the information into income tax return software and printing out and reviewing copies with the taxpayer. Both the taxpayer and volunteer sign the return and a copy is given to the taxpayer for their records, the accounting major said.

The whole process, VITA officials said, is strictly confiden-tial and that taxpayers can expect their refund in two to three weeks.

Other helpful income and tax information to bring include total tuition fees and expenses, total expenses paid for child care, landlord information and last year’s income tax return. SF State VITA volunteers cannot accept donations and do not file income tax extensions, deal with rental income or help married couples filing separately.

“Even if people have to wait during their process, when they see their refund, they always smile and thank us,” 23-year-old Tun, an ASO member, said.

VITA SF offices are open from 1 to 7 p.m, Monday through Friday and 12 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays until April 15. It will be open during Spring Break. For more information, call (415) 338-3655 or visit the VITA SF Web site