Cornell College will once again be taking part in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.

Santhi Hejeebu, professor of economics and business, started Cornell College’s VITA program in fall 2023 with Professor Huan Cai.

“I love the fact that our students are learning new skills that will be necessary and tangible in their own lives while at the same time sharpening their skills by helping others,” Hejeebu said.

Hejeebu reminds people in the community wanting to take part in VITA that appointments need to be scheduled ahead online or by calling the United Way.

“The second most important thing is to book an ‘Intake Appointment.,’” Hejeebu said. “That means you’ll have an intake interview and you will have all your documents reviewed by a specialist. You’ll then leave the documents and come back in two weeks to review and e-file the completed return. Your originals and the completed returns will be given to you. These appointments will take about 30 minutes to complete.”

Those who attend a VITA appointment should remember to bring everything they need to file their taxes on the day of the appointment.

Those items needed to bring with you include:

• Photo IDs for you and your spouse if filing a joint return
• Social security cards for everyone on the return (you, spouse, dependents)
• All your tax documents (W-2s, 1099- Rs, SSA-1099s etc.)
• Last year’s return if you filed your taxes
• Bank account and routing number information

“Students are learning to broadly understand and apply complicated tax law,” Hejeebu said. “They are learning to communicate empathetically with taxpayers to help them navigate the system. Every household is different and the applicable rules change from family to family. So students really need to know how to hunt for information, using the references and software they have been taught. Fortunately, our students are digital natives. They are very good at tracking down the information needed.”

Sophomore Ella Henze is one of the students helping at VITA this year.

“Through the VITA program, I have learned how to effectively communicate with our clients,” Henze said. “Taxes can be quite confusing, so using what I’ve learned through the program greatly helps me and the client file a successful tax return.”

Henze said one of the challenges she has had has been navigating the complex tax codes while keeping up with her current classes.

“While challenging, it has been rewarding to see my effort pay off in both aspects,” Henze said.

Henze said that while taxes can be stressful, volunteers are happy to help clients navigate their returns.