Overview:
DU VITA runs from February 14 to March 15 and provides free tax preparation assistance to eligible individuals earning $67,000 or less.
When visitors enter Daniels College of Business, they are greeted by long hallways with endless doors on both sides, which can be overwhelming. However, within this complicated maze, there is a little-known service called Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA). For more than 30 years, DU VITA has assisted thousands of low-income clients with their tax returns.
“The site is open to anyone in the community who earns $67,000 or less,” said Nicole Lazzeri, a law student volunteer with the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC). “There are certain complicated tax items that we are not allowed to take but for the most part, we can help most people file.” Lazzeri believes that this program is critical because many people “dread doing their taxes and/or are afraid of doing them alone.”
VITA clients range from members of the DU community to low-income families in the Denver metro area who are struggling as costs rise. One such individual is a student worker who volunteers at the food pantry at DU. “Since DU has been cutting costs, I’m glad we have this clinic to help us with taxes,” the student worker said. “Many students and faculty themselves don’t make above $67,000.”
The program, located on the third floor near classroom 330, has volunteers on standby to assist any client who enters the clinic. This year, more than 50 dedicated volunteers from the graduate accounting and DU Law programs, as well as eight professional volunteers from DU Faculty, will contribute their time and expertise to ensure the initiative’s success.
“The VITA program is an important asset for Daniels students, DU and the larger community,” said Tom Kononov, an accounting student and graduate site coordinator for VITA. “It allows business and law students to demonstrate their tax knowledge and apply it practically. The program engages DU students with the broader community and DCB’s goal of promoting business for the public good.”
For David Dassler, a professor in the accounting department, the reason he has been volunteering for years is the opportunity to make a genuine difference in people’s lives.
“The most rewarding part about this program is seeing clients be happy that they got their taxes done for free and that they are getting a refund that will help them out with their financial needs,” Dassler said. “I had a client before the pandemic; they were crying after their return was completed because they got a refund they weren’t expecting and this meant so much to them.”
To increase accessibility, the program offers multilingual assistance in Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese and Arabic, and it is currently the only program in the state that provides free services to international students. “I never knew we had someone who could help us with taxes here at DU, especially for free,” said Rohini, an international student who works at the library. “I will make an appointment and email [VITA] to have them help me.”
“This year, we have partnered with food banks around Denver, other VITA sites, as well as organs of DU Student Life to attract clients,” Kononov said. “We have also expanded our focus and expertise to cover international student and foreign payer returns.”
Sharon Lassar, director of the accounting school, is proud of VITA’s opportunity for accounting and law students to learn how to run a professional services firm as well as give back to the community. “They will have to understand how to run a CPA firm and deal with different types of clients that Colorado currently has,” Lassar said.
When Christine Kuglin volunteered to lead the program, Lassar jumped at the opportunity to reinstate VITA, which had been suspended during the pandemic. Kuglin, director of program development for VITA, has been involved with the program since 2013. She volunteers because she believes strongly in the mission of VITA and its role in making tax preparation accessible for everyone in Colorado.
“VITA plays a crucial role in helping individuals stay tax compliant, which is fundamental to the health of a nation,” Kuglin said. “If you look at the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 8, it addresses the importance of taxation and spending. For a country to thrive, its citizens must engage in the civil duty of tax preparation.”
The VITA program will run from Feb. 14 to March 15, offering free tax preparation assistance to eligible individuals and families ($67,000 or less in annual income).
When people learn about the program, the prospect of receiving free tax help is often so appealing that they will go to great lengths to meet with the VITA team. Aida made a point of driving two hours from Loveland to Denver to visit the clinic.
“This is a great resource to have in Colorado,” Aida said. “I am so thankful that I was able to do my taxes so early in the year. Now to beat the traffic home knowing the hard part of today is done thanks to this free program.”
For more information or to sign up for assistance, visit denverbap.com/vita_program.
