As tax season approaches, Dr. Kerri Tassin, assistant professor of accounting at Missouri State University, prepares students to carry out the MSU public affairs mission in the Springfield community by providing free tax preparation services to qualified individuals.

Students from the School of Accountancy will volunteer their services through the volunteer income tax assistance (VITA) and MyFreeTaxes programs, while getting real-world experience to add to their resumes.

More about VITA and MyFreeTaxes

The VITA program is available to taxpayers who make $54,000 or less per year, as well as senior citizens and people with disabilities and limited English proficiency. Clinics will be held at several locations throughout Springfield from February to April. For more information or to book an appointment, taxpayers may call 417-720-2000.

Sponsored by United Way, the MyFreeTaxes program provides free, online state and federal tax return preparation software powered by H&R Block for taxpayers who make under $64,000 per year. Certified volunteers can help answer taxpayer questions at 1-855-MY-TX-HELP, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m., and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturdays.

Helping the community

To serve as a VITA volunteer, students must successfully complete an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) certification training and testing program.

“These dedicated volunteers spend hours preparing and electronically filing federal and state income tax returns for others for free. In the process, students have the opportunity to interact with the community and take what they’ve learned in the classroom and use that knowledge to help others,” said Tassin.