Cal State LA’s VITA program returns with free tax help for students and community members

It is tax season. 

Not too many will call it their favorite time of the year, but at Cal State LA, at least, help is again on the way via the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

VITA provides free tax-preparation services to low- and moderate-income, disabled, and limited English-speaking taxpayers, including students and members of the surrounding communities served by the university. Cal State LA students, most with accounting and finance backgrounds, volunteer to prepare the returns following weeks of training and certification by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Services will be provided at seven locations, including on campus, every Saturday from Feb. 7 to April 11. Additionally, three pop-up events will be held this year. (See below for the VITA schedule and locations.).

The program is co-sponsored by the College of Business and Economics’ Department of Accounting, the IRS, and the California Franchise Tax Board.

VITA has been in existence since the 1980s, but the past two years have been Cal State LA’s most successful. Last year’s volunteers numbered 139, and they prepared 2,132 tax returns for $3.1 million in refunds. For the 2023 tax year, 81 volunteers completed 2,307 returns for $3.5 million.

This year, about 230 students have volunteered.

The program’s co-faculty advisors, Associate Professor John Cooper and Assistant Professor Xiangge (Angela) Wang from the Department of Accounting, spread the word about the program during their fall classes. They also asked some VITA volunteers from last tax season to share their experiences about the program. 

“The students telling each other about the program is the most effective way to recruit,” Cooper said. “They really enjoy it. They have a great time, they learn a lot, and it looks good on their résumé when they’re looking for jobs.” 

About 90 percent of clients are from the community, many of them returning on a yearly basis. Cooper would like to see more Cal State LA students take advantage of the free service. 

“We can do better this year,” Cooper said. “We’re going to post flyers around campus and set up a table near the library. Hopefully, that helps.” 

Clients should come prepared with a picture ID, their Social Security card or an individual tax identification number (ITIN), W-2s, 1099s, tuition statements, and other tax documents. 

Visit the VITA webpage for additional information. 

VITA SCHEDULE AND LOCATIONS 

Services will be available 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 

• Cal State LA, Salazar Hall, Room 358 (Parking: $5 for four hours in Structure A), 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 
• Cypress Park Branch Library, 1150 Cypress Ave., Los Angeles 
• Lincoln Heights Branch Library, 2530 Workman St., Los Angeles 
• El Sereno Branch Library, 5226 S. Huntington Dr., Los Angeles 
• Arroyo Seco Regional Branch Library, 6145 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles 
• Young & Healthy, 136 West Peoria St., Pasadena, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (starting Feb. 7)
• Sunland-Tujunga Branch Library, 7771 Foothill Blvd., Tujunga

POP-UP EVENTS