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Internal Revenue Service Honors Aurora University Tax Preparers
6/9/2009
Ryan Hartline (right), of Sugar Grove, was among Aurora University students honored by the Internal Revenue Service for serving in AU's 2009 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. From left are Rosie Robinson, IRS senior tax specialist; Tim Moran, CPA and assistant professor of accounting; Len Scholl, CPA, assistant professor of accounting and VITA coordinator; and Hartline. Volunteers prepared a record 525 federal and state tax forms free for the public in AU's seventh annual VITA program.AURORA, Ill. — Local residents were among Aurora University students, faculty, staff and former students honored by the Internal Revenue Service for preparing a record 525 federal income-tax forms free for the public during the past tax season.
In a seventh annual Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, AU tax preparers recovered $463,500 in refunds for taxpayers. The largest single refund, $11,120, went to an Aurora resident.
Since the program's inception in 2002, AU tax preparers have generated more than $2,002,352 in refunds to area taxpayers.
Refunds included the new rebate recovery and first-time homebuyer credits.
Rosie Robinson, senior tax specialist from the IRS Chicago office, presented recognition certificates and letters of appreciation to students, faculty and staff in a ceremony at Dunham Hall.
Len Scholl, CPA, and assistant professor of accounting, presided at the presentation. Scholl and Tim Moran, CPA, assistant professor of accounting, taught Accounting 3310: Federal Taxation of Individuals, a unique course that culminates with business students preparing tax forms free for the public.
Moran, who supervised electronic filing, reported that a record 497 returns — 94.7 percent of the total prepared — were e-filed.
Assisting in leading the AU effort was David Diehl, CPA and visiting instructor of business. Diehl said AU volunteers helped file returns for former residents of California, Colorado, Michigan, New York, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.
Robinson announced that the IRS will recognize Scholl for his leadership of AU's VITA program since its inception in 2002.
AU's Dunham School of Business must receive IRS approval annually to offer VITA. The outreach is designed to assist low-income, handicapped, elderly and non-English-speaking taxpayers. The income limit is $50,000.
AU offered service from 8 to 11 a.m. on six Saturdays from Feb. 21 to April 4. For the first time, AU's School of Social Work and School of Nursing sponsored a Health and Community Services Expo at VITA tax preparations.
In addition to the Dunham School of Business, the School of Nursing and School of Social Work participated. Student nurses conducted memory and blood-pressure checks. The School of Social Work hosted community service agencies including Kane County Senior Services, Kane County Health Department, Kendall County Health Department, Heart Sisters/Fox Valley Heart Foundation, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and Family Counseling Services of Aurora.
The Yorkville Police Department collected and disposed of unwanted prescription medicines at the April 4 tax preparation. A student club provided information on preventing identity theft.
Also for the first time, the Schingoethe Center for Native American Cultures was open to the public during VITA sessions.
Before preparing returns for the public, AU students completed 24 hours of classroom training. Instruction included preparing more than 50 sample federal and state returns under supervision of professors who are CPAs.
Training continued during the tax season as students prepared tax returns for the public. Eight bilingual students provided translation assistance for taxpayers who spoke Spanish.
Scholl said, "Students learned federal and state income tax theory while they applied it to actual tax-return preparation in a closely supervised environment.
"This hands-on preparation of tax returns strengthens students' resumes, makes them more marketable in the workplace, and provides valuable experience interfacing with the public," Scholl said.
According to the IRS, AU volunteers are among more than 73,000 who annually assist more than 3.5 million people with federal income taxes.
AU volunteer tax preparers honored by the IRS were:
- Aurora: Luis A. Ayala, Cynthia Bessman, Maria Cazares, Olynda Dettoyos, Ryan Guillermo, Oscar Medina, Ilse Solorio, Uriel Terrazas, Ross Wegman, Tou Yang, Tim Moran, Al Benson
- Batavia: Stuart Hacker, Andrew Schroeder, Kim Willerth
- Bensenville: Thomas Kress
- Bolingbrook: Shimeka Woodard, Len Scholl
- Burbank: Jennifer McClory
- Chicago: Chejuana Stiles
- Decatur: Reed Sullivan
- DeKalb: Ileana Brooks
- Downers Grove: Kris Mueller
- Dixon: Doug Grove, Whitney Smith
- Harwood Heights: David Diehl
- Kaneville: Elizaeth Hauser
- Montgomery: Lakisha Hartzog
- Naperville: Yvonne Scholl, Kelly Scholl, Robert Scholl
- North Aurora: Ernest Johnson, Marlene Ocampo, Jason Park,
- Orangeville: Chelsie Barth
- Oswego: Melanie Ferrer, Sean Noggle, Sharon Swanson
- Plainfield: Gary Bednar
- Plano: John Goll II
- St. Charles: Bob Meinig
- Sandwich: Jonathan Kolka
- Sugar Grove: Ryan Hartline
- Yorkville; Alex Gonzales
