News Reporter
CMU accounting students are gaining experience by offering free income tax preparation to students and the outside community through next week.
The students are using the Taxpayers Assistance Program (TAP) to file tax returns on the state and federal level.
“It’s a good way to help accounting students get real-world experience preparing taxes,” Assisted Principle in Charge (APIC) of the program, Michael Brooks said.
Brooks’ job is to ensure the latest edition of Tax Act is installed on each of the student’s computers and make appointments for those interested in coming.
“We are doing them by appointment so we make sure we have enough people there,” Brooks said.
According to senior accounting major Chris Taylor, the program has helped around 25 people so far.
Taylor is helping in order to fill the requirements of his Advanced Tax and Tax Research class, and is appreciative of what he is learning through the program.
“[This] helps serve the community we live in, and it’s good, real-life tax preparation experience,” Taylor said. “We see a lot of W2s, 1098Ts and 1099s.”
TAP has been at CMU for awhile, but it was under a different name until recently.
“It used to be the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program,” Brooks said.
Various changes gave the program new requirements to fill to ensure good software.
“We decided to switch to the TAP program to still meet qualifications and provide tax service for free,” Brooks said. “Unfortunately, we are not allowed to do returns for out-of-state income.”
While the accounting students fill out the forms, certified public accountants will come to approve their work, ensuring accurate refunds for the community.
So far, it has been mostly students who have taken advantage of the free income tax preparation, but Brooks and Taylor both want everyone to be aware before the opportunity is gone.
The accounting students will be available Feb. 23, from 9 a.m.-noon and on Feb. 25 from 2-5 p.m. in ACB 218. To make an appointment, call 970-248-1727 and bring all required tax information, such as last year’s federal and state returns as well as all 2012 forms.
kirick@mavs.coloradomesa.edu
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