Aurora University Tax Preparers Set Records--Again

AURORA, Ill.—Aurora University students and faculty prepared a record 83 federal income-tax returns on April 5 to conclude AU’s 2008 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

The prior single-date record was 80 federal returns prepared by the tax class March 15.

In addition to setting a single-date record, AU tax preparers completed 502 federal returns this year to surpass the previous season record of 423 set in 2007.

Additionally this season, 502 State of Illinois tax forms were prepared by 35 students in “Federal Taxation of Individuals,” an AU tax class that teaches accounting and public service skills.

Since 2002, AU’s Dunham School of Business has been approved by the IRS to participate in its VITA program which provides free public tax-form preparation.

“A record 276 returns were electronically filed by AU tax preparers during 2008,” said Len Scholl, CPA and assistant professor of accounting.

Since the program’s inception, AU tax preparers have generated about $1.5 million in refunds for taxpayers. The largest 2008 refund totaled $6,017 on Feb. 16.

Also this year, AU tax preparers assisted taxpayers who failed to file returns in 2004, 2005, and 2006, yielding many refunds for those years.

AU’s tax-preparation service was offered on six Saturdays from Feb. 16 through April 5 in Dunham Hall lobby on AU’s Aurora campus.

The income limit was $50,000. Elderly, disabled, and non-English-speaking taxpayers were invited. Bilingual students translated for persons who spoke Spanish, Russian, Italian and Albanian.

Before preparing returns for the public, AU 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.

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