Tam Nguyen / Nguoi Viet 2
Orange County residents who need help with their income-tax preparation can find that assistance at California State University, Fullerton ― for free.
More than 100 students and alumni are volunteering their time to take part in Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA. The volunteers have been certified by VITA, which is part of an IRS-sponsored community program, to assist qualified families with their taxes.
“We are really looking forward to continuing the program on campus and growing it with years to come,” said Warren J. Doller, the president of VITA and a senior majoring in business administration-accounting and finance. The volunteers are working under the guidance of Christopher R. Petruzzi, a professor of accounting. Seila Hun, a senior business administration-accounting and finance major, and taxation graduate student Julie Ng, both interns for the VITA program, are serving as coordinators for the various VITA sites in Orange County.
For those seeking services, annual incomes can be no greater than $58,000 per household. Applicants must bring with them to their meeting: a valid photo I.D. and Social Security cards, plus birth dates for taxpayer, spouse and dependents; wage and earnings statements and financial statements applicable to a personal tax return; records of any payments to daycare and that provider’s I.D. number; last year’s income tax returns, plus bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit of any refunds.
The Cal State Fullerton site is open Mondays from 4 to 8 p.m. in Room 438 of McCarthy Hall; Tuesdays from 4 to 8 p.m. in Room 464 of McCarthy Hall; and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon in Room 1112 of Mihaylo Hall. The program runs through April 13; taxes must be filed by April 15.
No appointments are accepted. Clients must arrive no later than one hour before closing time. Cal State Fullerton is at 800 N. State College Blvd. Upon arrival, VITA clients can ask for courtesy parking passes at the parking information booths located on Folino Drive off Nutwood Avenue or on Arts Drive off State College Boulevard.
The VITA program has been operated at Cal State Fullerton for six years and also partners with 29 other sites. For information on those locations, go to www.irs.gov/Individuals/Find-a-Location-for-Free-Tax-Prep.
A map of the Fullerton campus is available online at http://parking.fullerton.edu/parking/Maps.asp. For more information, contact the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Center at (657) 278-8681 or by e-mail at [email protected].
