CSUSB Offers Free Tax Preparation

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – Students at Cal State San Bernardino who are majoring in accounting will offer free income tax preparation for eligible taxpayers Feb. 4 through April 11 at various locations throughout the Inland Empire.

Tax preparation for low-income and elderly taxpayers who have a maximum income of $60,000 will be available at six San Bernardino County locations including the CSUSB campus. The service is sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service and the state Franchise Tax Board.

“The CSUSB VITA program started more than 30 years ago offering services one afternoon a month at the former Central City Mall in front of J.C. Penney,” said Janet Courts, CSUSB accounting lecturer and coordinator of the VITA program.

Donna Rantz, adjunct professor in CSUSB’s accounting and finance department and certified public accountant, will be joining Courts this year as co-coordinator of the VITA program.

The student volunteers are certified at the advanced level in order to prepare basic federal and California resident tax returns, including those with itemized deductions, earned income credit, education credit, dependent care credit and child tax credit.

This year’s free tax assistance will be held at the following locations and no appointment is necessary.

Wednesdays (February only), Feb. 4-25, from 1-6 p.m., at:

· Cal State San Bernardino, Jack Brown Hall, fourth floor; 5500 University Parkway, San Bernardino; parking is $5

Fridays, Feb. 6-April 10, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., at:

· Family Resource Center, 1525 W. Highland Ave., San Bernardino

· Family Service Association of Redlands, 612 Lawton St., Redlands

Saturdays, Feb. 7-April 11, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at:

· Feldheym Library, 555 W. 6th St., San Bernardino (closed on Feb. 14)

· Villa Del Norte Community Center; 9997 Feron Blvd., Rancho Cucamonga

· Fontana Boys and Girls Club, 7723 Almeria Ave., Fontana (note different hours from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.)

“This year we are thrilled to welcome 10 experienced CSUSB alumni as supervisors at our six sites on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. We already have 58 students scheduled to work more than 4,200 hours preparing taxes,” Courts said.

During the 2014 tax season, about 65 CSUSB volunteers worked more than 5,000 hours preparing nearly 2,000 federal and state tax returns, which infused more than $1.5 million back to the local economy.

Taxpayers who wish to participate in this program must bring valid photo identification and Social Security or ITIN cards for each taxpayer, as well as for all dependents claimed. There are no exceptions to this rule. Taxpayers must also bring W-2s, 1099s and other pertinent tax documents. Both husband and wife must be present to sign joint returns. Free electronic filing is available.

Volunteers are unable to prepare tax returns for nonresident aliens, small business owners, owners of rental properties or those who are married but filing separately.

The VITA program is made possible through the generosity of the Family Service Association of Redlands, the Family Resource Center, Fontana Boys and Girls Club, Inland Empire United Way, Norman Feldheym Library, the Northtown Housing Development Corporation and the San Bernardino Unified School District.

Other partners and sponsors include the Association of Governmental Accountants, CSUSB’s College of Business and Public Administration, CSUSB’s Accounting Advisory Board, the Business Alliance, Becker CPA review course and the Norman F. Feldheym Library. Also included are the CPA firms of Eadie and Payne; Rogers, Anderson, Malody and Scott; and Soren, McAdam and Christenson.

For more information, visit the VITA website at www.cbpa.csusb.edu/vita or contact Janet Courts at (909) 537-3992, or by e-mail at vita@csusb.edu.

For more information about Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Public Affairs at (909) 537-5007 and visit http://news.csusb.edu.

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