For the fifth straight year, students in Mary O’Keeffe’s economics class have spent their evenings helping local residents file tax returns free of charge through the state Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program.
“Two VITA alumni are back this year, one volunteering at our site at Kenney Community Center and the other at the Schenectady YWCA’s site,” said O’Keeffe.
“Not many classes provide something like this where you actually get work experience, gain skills you’ll use your entire life and help others at the same time,” said Vincent Chau ’09, an interdepartmental history and economics major.
Chau and Yu Chen ’10, Jacob Deveney ’09, Moosa Haider ’10, Chelsea Hargis ’09, Karin Santiago ’09, Jeremy Taglieri ’09 and Sarah Scott ’09 have been preparing tax documents since late January. As of Tuesday afternoon, the group had filed more than 150 returns for working families and senior citizens.
O’Keeffe projected that by the close of the VITA season this evening, Union students will have aided Schenectady residents in obtaining some $400,000 in federal and state refunds.
The Union VITA site partners with the IRS, Schenectady County Department of Social Services, United Way of the Greater Capital Region and the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
Since its launch in 2005, Union’s program has secured some $1.4 million in cumulative tax refunds for local residents and should top the $2 million mark next year, O’Keeffe predicted.
"It’s wonderful we’re able to help the community like this,” she said. “Some people have been coming in every year and referring friends and neighbors to us. One client said to me, ‘Do you realize you’ve saved me over $1,000 in preparation fees during the last five years?’”