When tax season rolls around, most students are focused on W-2s from their part-time jobs or wondering if they’ll even get a refund. For a group of Kent State accounting students, tax time means helping others navigate one of adulthood’s most confusing tasks.

Kent State’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program offers free tax preparation to low-income, elderly and international clients. The program, run through the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship, allows students to gain hands-on skills while giving back to the community.

VITA focuses on serving taxpayers who often don’t have access to financial resources.

“A lot of people don’t realize they qualify for certain tax credits,” said accounting professor Mindy Nett, who helps oversee the program along with Paula DiVencenzo, a tax manager. “We make sure they get all the money they’re entitled to.”

The program has been active at Kent since around 2010 and now prepares more than 500 returns annually, with nearly 75% of clients being international students. Many are filing U.S. taxes for the first time and need help understanding which forms and treaties apply to them.

Over time, the program has also evolved into an official course.

“Students can take it for credit,” Nett said. “It counts for three credits as an upper-division accounting elective.”

Before working with clients, student volunteers must pass IRS exams covering ethics and tax law. Once certified, they prepare returns from start to finish, building abilities that will help in their future careers.

“It’s like a tax internship because you’re actually preparing returns,” Nett said. “You’re managing clients, sometimes managing emotional situations. … It’s actual real-world work.”

Kayla Nagle, a graduate student in Kent State’s Master’s in Accounting program, first joined VITA as a senior accounting major. She found the program served as a valuable part of her academic journey.

“Putting it into practice helped me understand why we do things the way we do,” Nagle said. “Of all of my classes, that one was the most helpful for actual job experience.”

The experience also prepared Nagle for her future internship.

“Doing VITA is learning how to handle sensitive information, learning how to be face-to-face with clients … and definitely one of the biggest things is learning how to use a tax software to prepare a tax return,” she said.

One memory that stayed with Nagle came when she helped an elderly man who couldn’t afford professional tax services.

“He was like, ‘How much do you guys charge?’ and I told him free, and he was getting very emotional,” she said.

Moments like that show how rewarding the program can be for both students and the community.

“It’s just a really nice service to be able to offer,” Nett said. “A big part of what we do is giving back to others.”

Enrollment for next spring’s VITA class begins in the fall, with training starting in November. Students interested in joining can contact the business school or visit kent.edu/vita for more information.

Elliana Steiner is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].