STCC’s free tax prep assistance program a growing success

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – More than 750 people this year used free tax preparation assistance provided by volunteers in the federal Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program at Springfield Technical Community College.

The program has grown rapidly in recent years, from about 150 returns prepared in 2014 to more than 765 returns prepared in 2016, said Richard Keller, STCC’s VITA site coordinator.

STCC’s VITA program provides free tax preparation to people with a household income of $55,000 or less by pairing them with a volunteer preparer. Many of the volunteers are students certified through STCC’s IRS training program. They will offer assistance beginning in January.

The VITA program started at the federal level decades ago, mainly to help people access the Earned Income Credit, a benefit for working people with low to moderate income, according to Leona Ittleman, dean of STCC’s School of Business & Information Technologies.

Ittleman said the IRS estimates that people using VITA also save $200 or more in preparer fees by using this free service.

Participants also can file for earned income tax credits and child care credits they may not otherwise be aware of, she said.

“Taxpayers including STCC students and members of the community who use the service are very appreciative. Many 2016 filers were returning for the 2nd or 3rd year,” Ittleman said.

The average Earned Income Credit received was about $1,700, Keller said. The participants’ average annual income was about $19,000.

“Studies show that most people use their refunds for basic needs, clothes for the kids, better quality food, car repairs or to catch up on rent or utility bills. They’re using it to ease their financial burden,” Keller said. “The program has an immediate impact. The combination of the EIC and the Child Tax Credit can increase a family’s annual income by as much as 25 percent.”

This year, the STCC volunteers filed returns which resulted in more than $1 million in refunds, Keller added.

Keller said two years ago, in the first year of the program, 20 trained volunteers prepared about 150 returns. The numbers have grown steadily since then, with 33 volunteers preparing over 765 returns in 2016.

Student volunteers find the work stimulating and gain work experience, Keller said. Many volunteer to test their interest in tax preparation and some go on to tax-related jobs with accountants or other businesses, he explained.

Many say that they are motivated by the positive experience of helping fellow students and community members receive assistance they might not otherwise receive, he said.

The VITA experience has been shown to be a valuable supplement to their education, including increasing their ability to retain what they learn and helping them to develop practical skills useful to potential employers, Keller said.

About Springfield Technical Community College

Founded in 1967 and located on 35 acres of the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, STCC is a major resource for the economic vitality of western Massachusetts. As the only technical community college in Massachusetts, STCC, an Achieving the Dream Leader College, offers a variety of career programs unequalled in the state. STCC’s highly regarded transfer programs in business, engineering, liberal arts, science and technology continue to provide the most economical option for students pursuing a four-year degree. With an annual enrollment of over 8,500 day, evening, weekend and online students, STCC is a vibrant campus rich in diversity.

Media Contact: Jim Danko, Coordinator of Media Relations, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu

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