Voices

Baruch offering free returns to low-income New Yorkers

The Baruch College Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program will be preparing free tax returns for eligible New Yorkers from this Friday, Feb. 4, through Friday, April 15, at seven locations in the city.

Some locations will offer e-filing services, weekend hours and interpreters for Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, Russian and Korean speakers. No appointments are necessary.

“I can personally relate to many of the clients who use our service,” says Dennis Wang, president of VITA at Baruch College, in a statement. “My parents were immigrants to the United States and knew little English so they both worked for little pay. Asking them to pay $75 or more for an accountant was not feasible on our budget, but filing their taxes was the only way to get our refund. Looking back, this would have been a great service for us.”

Created by the IRS in 1969, VITA has been a program at Baruch since the early 1990s. Last year, the volunteers—finance and accountancy majors—prepared more than 6,600 client returns.

To find program locations and the services provided at each, click here

 

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