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CLC students lend helping hand with tax returns
Central Lakes College students are helping area taxpayers as participants in a free tax preparation partnership.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Association of American Retired Persons Tax-Aide partnership is nation-wide, serving more than two million taxpayers each year. They're helping because the service is free and because they help a significant number of taxpayers obtain refunds on their income tax returns.
"This is good experience for the students," said instructor Pam Thomsen. "And we see it as a way to give back to the community in a service learning fashion. We would hope to create lifelong volunteers."
The 16 CLC students receive invaluable training and experience with clients, using the latest software and a current knowledge base from instruction in the income tax course that is part of the associate in applied science degree in accounting offered at CLC.
"We get all our materials from the Internal Revenue Service and the state of Minnesota based on the VITA program," said Thomsen. The student volunteers are among 32,000 AARP Tax-Aide volunteers nationwide who work at more than 7,000 sites. The northern half of Minnesota has 60 sites.
Last year that half e-filed 11,763 returns and had $9,821,066 in federal refunds. CLC is one of five sites in the Brainerd lakes area. The others are the Lakes Area Senior Activity Center, RSVP Services, Crosslake Community Center, and the Hallett Library in Crosby.
The income tax preparation site has become an intergenerational workplace. Some CLC students work at sites in communities throughout the region, including Pillager, Pine River, Onamia, Milaca, Little Falls, Aitkin, and Grand Casino-Mille Lacs.
At CLC, the action is on Island I at the back of the Computer Commons on the Brainerd campus, where three days each week from January through mid-April, the volunteers sit beside taxpayers in scheduled appointments.
Students have been trained and certified, and they each prepare at least 10 tax returns. Many complete two or three times that number. As volunteers, they may meet clients at other sites as well.
Jennifer Host of Aitkin, president of the CLC Accounting Club, prepared the 1040 tax forms for clients in Aitkin. "It went quite smoothly," she said. "I enjoyed meeting and working with the people there."
At CLC, site coordinator Gary Fitch said clients and tax preparers alike were well-served by comfortable and efficient surroundings. "We have use of up to six computer stations, a printer, phone, and even a locking file cabinet," he said. Fitch said the college students were well-prepared and seemed to enjoy the experience. "There is mutual benefit to our volunteer program and to the college students," he said. Retirees Roy and Alice Peterson of Nisswa have used the service at CLC five years straight. "It just works out wonderfully," said Alice. "Whether we work with a student or one of the retired volunteer tax preparers such as former CLC instructors Jeff Smith and Don Stang, everyone does a great job."
Many tax-aide sites accept donations, but none are accepted on the campus. Instead, there are plenty of smiles along with a big "thank you" when each tax return is ready to be sent. Most clients receive refunds from the IRS and state, so that also provides a positive feel to the experience.
Roger Gorman, district coordinator of the AARP tax-Aide program, said of the 1,118 tax returns completed last year at five locations in the Brainerd lakes area, CLC e-filed 235.
Of the $912,868 in federal refunds, CLC produced $252,172.
"The volunteers are involved in this service because they love to work with numbers and they love to help people in need of this service," he added.Volunteers are reimbursed for the mileage but receive no other compensation.
The clients include college students, retired individuals, and friends of students. The main requirement of clients is that they fall into the low to middle-income range (generally $39,000 and less). A client who has employees or involvement in extensive real estate holdings may be recommended to a tax preparation agency.
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