Guided by CPAs, free tax preparation program offered on Glassboro campus
Guided by CPAs, free tax preparation program offered on Glassboro campus
March 5, 2024
A free Rowan University tax preparation program is again available to senior citizens, people with disabilities, filers with low to moderate income, and taxpayers with limited English language skills.
Run through the Rohrer College of Business, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) offers no-charge federal and state income tax preparation from now through April 12.
Robert Sagedy, a lecturer in the RCB’s Department of Accounting and Finance, said more than 80 Rowan students from a variety of majors took an IRS-certified tax preparation course and, since Feb. 6, completed and filed about 100 individual returns.
“Students typically complete around 200 or so during tax season so we’re on pace to do more than in the past,” Sagedy said.
A Certified Public Accountant licensed in New Jersey and Pennsylvania with an MBA in finance, Sagedy said he and Senior Lecturer Andrew Van Hook, who’s also a CPA, oversee the VITA program.
He said though students collect taxpayer information and complete returns, each is reviewed by a faculty member before it is filed.
Sagedy said the tax preparation training students complete requires three certification exams and that, while students volunteer for the service, they develop valuable skills.
“The VITA program provides students opportunities and soft skills that they don’t get in the classroom,” he said. “For example, they’re talking to people and making them feel comfortable. There are a lot of intangible benefits in addition to getting experience doing actual returns.”
Still, he said, professional tax preparation skills can provide a solid income stream. For students who seek careers in an accounting firm or want to do other financial work with clients, understanding the tax system can be invaluable.
Further, by taking part in the VITA program, students learn to appreciate community service, an educational cornerstone in the Rohrer College of Business and across the University.
“We’re not asking for money and it’s not a fundraiser,” Sagedy said. “VITA is a true community-oriented program.”
Offered by appointment only, the free tax preparation program is held in the second-floor collaboration rooms (across from the elevators) in Business Hall off Route 322 in Glassboro.