Free Tax Help at Aurora University Sets Record; Free Service Continues Saturday, March 29

AURORA, Ill.-Aurora University's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program set a six-year, single-date record when 80 Chicago-area taxpayers brought their forms for help on Saturday (March 15).

Len Scholl, CPA, assistant professor of accounting and VITA coordinator, said the previous single-date record was on Feb. 16, 2008, when 75 taxpayers were helped.

Scholl added that about $1.4 million in refunds have been generated for taxpayers by AU tax-form preparers since the program's inception in 2002. The fifth of six free tax-preparation dates at Aurora University is Saturday, March 29, from 8 to 11 a.m. in Dunham Hall lobby, 1400 Marseillaise Place in Aurora.

Thirty-five business students and professors will help prepare state and federal tax returns for persons earning up to $50,000. Elderly, disabled, and non-English-speaking taxpayers are invited.

Bilingual students will translate for persons who speak Spanish, Russian, Italian and Albanian. A photo ID and Social Security identification number are required.

Electronic filing will be provided for taxpayers that qualify.

The Internal Revenue Service sponsors the VITA program. AU's Dunham School of Business has been approved annually to participate since 2002.

The sixth annual service concludes from 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 5. About 350 each state and federal returns have been prepared for Chicago-area taxpayers since the 2008 program began Feb. 16.

The largest refund this year was $6,017 to a taxpayer on Feb. 16.

Last year, students and professors prepared a record 650 combined state and federal tax returns, including 204 e-filed returns, and generated $367,423 in refunds.

About 423 taxpayers from Chicago and 20 suburbs were served. The largest refund was $10,900 to a Sugar Grove resident.

Additionally last year, collegiate tax preparers assisted taxpayers who failed to file returns in 2003, and 2004, 2005 yielding many refunds for those years.

According to the IRS, Aurora University last year was second among Illinois colleges in terms of total returns prepared and total accuracy.

Before preparing returns for the public, college students complete 24 hours of classroom training which includes preparing more than 50 sample federal and state returns. Training continues as students prepare tax returns on Saturdays for the public.

Call (630) 844-6895 for information.

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