VITA Free Tax Preparation
Need help preparing your tax return? You may be eligible to get your taxes done for free with assistance from ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ Accounting Students. This service is open to students and community members who qualify for the services.
Through the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ offers free basic tax preparation to qualified individuals. ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ Accounting program students, who are IRS-certified volunteers, prepare the income tax returns for over 250 individuals each year.
Free tax help through the VITA program is available to:
- People who generally make $57,000 or less.
- Persons with disabilities.
- Limited English-speaking taxpayers.
Tax return forms VITA will prepare:
- Wages, salaries, etc. (Form W-2). â¶Ä¯
- Interest Income (Form 1099-INT). â¶Ä¯
- Dividends Received (Form 1099-DIV). â¶Ä¯
- State Tax Refunds (Form 1099-G). â¶Ä¯
- Unemployment Benefits (Form 1099-G). â¶Ä¯
- IRA Distributions (Form 1099-R). â¶Ä¯
- Pension Income (Forms 1099-R, RRB-1099, CSA-1099). â¶Ä¯
- Social Security Benefits (Form SSA-1099) (RRB-1099). â¶Ä¯
- Simple Capital Gain/Loss (Form 1099-B) limited. â¶Ä¯
- Sale of Home (Form 1099-S) limited. â¶Ä¯
- Self-employed Income (Form 1099-MISC) limited. â¶Ä¯
- Gambling Winnings (Form W-2G). â¶Ä¯
- Cancellation of Debt (Form 1099-C) limited. â¶Ä¯
- Health Savings Accounts (Form 1099-SA) limited. â¶Ä¯
- Itemized Deductions limited
- Education Credits (Form 1098-T). â¶Ä¯
- Child Tax Credit. â¶Ä¯â€¯
- Earned Income Credit. â¶Ä¯
- Health Insurance Statements (Forms 1095-A, B or C). â¶Ä¯
- Prior Year and Amended Returns limited. â¶Ä¯
Tax return forms VITA will not prepare:
- Self-employed income that includes expenses over $50,000 or depreciation or sale of an asset. â¶Ä¯
- Rental income. â¶Ä¯
- Married filing separately.
How to schedule VITA services:
Sign up for an in-person meeting below. All meetings are held at the ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ Green Bay campus.
Please note:
- VITA services are available by appointment only – no walk-ins accepted.
- For this tax year, you must bring a social security card for everyone claimed on the tax return. Your tax return cannot be completed without this information.
- If married filing jointly, both husband and wife must be present at the appointment, and we will need to see photo ID's.
- Sign up for only one appointment slot. Appointments are limited and we want to be fair to everyone. Make sure your income is below the limit ($57,000 or less).
What to bring to a VITA appointment:
- Proof of identification (photo ID). â¶Ä¯
- Social security cards for you, your spouse, and dependents. â¶Ä¯
- Birth dates for you, your spouse, and dependents on the tax return. â¶Ä¯
- Wage and earning statements (Form W-2, W-2G, 1099-R, 1099-Misc) from all employers. â¶Ä¯
- Interest and dividend statements from banks (Forms 1099). â¶Ä¯
- A copy of last year’s federal and state returns, if available. â¶Ä¯
- Proof of bank account routing and account numbers for direct deposit such as a blank check. â¶Ä¯
- Total paid for daycare provider and the daycare provider's tax identifying number such as their Social Security number or business Employer Identification Number. â¶Ä¯
- Forms 1095-A, B and C, Health Coverage Statements (Marketplace insurance). â¶Ä¯
To file taxes electronically on a married-filing-joint tax return, both spouses must be present to sign the required forms. â¶Ä¯
How to check your refund status:
- Check the status of your federal refund at: â¶Ä¯â€¯and click on Get Your Refund Status. â¶Ä¯
- Check the status of your State of Wisconsin refund at: â¶Ä¯â€¯and click on Where’s my Refund. â¶Ä¯