A Record Year for ASL's VITA Volunteers

            For seven years, students at the Appalachian School of Law have provided free income tax preparation for low-to-moderate income residents at a People Incorporated sponsored VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) site.  Although the VITA site location has varied over the years from ASL’s library to the basement of the Courthouse to a class room at the college, one thing hasn’t changed and that is the commitment of the students who provide this service. 

            During this past tax season, 16 volunteers studied and completed the required IRS training to be certified as a VITA volunteer.  This is more volunteers than has participated in any previous year.  Along with the increase in the number of the volunteers, there has been a gradual increase in the number of residents accessing this service. This year’s increase was the largest in the site’s history.  The number of federal income returns prepared this year at 127 nearly doubled the number done last year.   
 

            ASL volunteers saved taxpayers approximately $15,200 in professional tax preparation fees while helping taxpayers get back federal tax refunds in excess of $50,000.  Additionally, the volunteers prepared and submitted 56 state income tax returns that netted another $14,000 for the individuals that they helped. The average adjusted gross income of individuals or households using the site was $11,792.

            Any student interested in being part of this worthwhile community service project can contact Laney Comer at lcomer16@my.asl.edu or Cathy Houlihan at choulihan15@my.asl.edu.  Cathy was the 2013-2014 ASL VITA President and Laney is the upcoming 2014-2015 president of ASL’s VITA club.