SMC Offering Free Income Tax Prep For Low-Income Households

SANTA MONICA, CA – Santa Monica College (SMC) Accounting student volunteers are providing free income tax preparation to low-income households that made less than $54,000 in 2018 from now through Saturday, April 6. The free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Clinic takes place every Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the SMC VITA Office located at 3400 Airport Avenue, Suite 76, in Santa Monica.

“Overseeing and managing SMC VITA has been an immense joy for two reasons,” said Cesar Rubio, SMC accounting professor and SMC VITA site coordinator. “Firstly, I get a chance to continue mentoring my tax students in applying the tax law we learned in class, and watch them grow as tax professionals. Secondly, I get a chance to serve low-income SMC students and community members, including individuals with disabilities, senior citizens, and veterans. It has been an honor to serve them and to offer our tax preparation expertise to those who need it!”

Tax-preparers from Rubio’s income tax preparation course take turns volunteering each weekend since SMC VITA 2019 began providing the services in February, the press release said.

Yin-Chi Kuo, an SMC Accounting major and a VITA volunteer, said he remembers being nervous on his first day, but his first client was a patient man which helped calm his nerves. The experience helped him gain confidence and communication skills, Kuo said.

"While he was waiting for his tax return to undergo a quality review, he told me that . . . it's a great thing that we provide free tax preparation," Kuo said. "[He said that] if he went to a regular tax prep service, he [would have] paid a couple hundred dollars. On the other hand, our VITA program provides a great-quality service without any fees."

The grant-funded VITA program originated at California State University Northridge, where it has been ongoing for several decades, the press release said. The program, which is in its second year at SMC, is a "win-win," school officials said, because it provides free tax assistance for low-income individuals and real-world experience for student volunteers.

Appointments are strongly encouraged – details and scheduling information are available here. For more information on the Accounting Program at SMC visit www.smc.edu/accounting. For information on SMC VITA, contact Cesar Rubio at Rubio_Cesar@smc.edu or call 310-434-4846.