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VITA Free Tax Preparation

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W-2 Forms ready to be filled out

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:

The VITA site at ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ has stopped accepting tax returns for this season. If you submitted your return through VITA, you don't need to take any further action. Check the status of your refund:

What to bring to a VITA appointment:

  1. Proof of identification (photo ID). â¶Ä¯ 
  2. Social security cards for you, your spouse, and dependents. â¶Ä¯ 
  3. Birth dates for you, your spouse, and dependents on the tax return. â¶Ä¯ 
  4. Wage and earning statements (Form W-2, W-2G, 1099-R, 1099-Misc) from all employers. â¶Ä¯ 
  5. Interest and dividend statements from banks (Forms 1099). â¶Ä¯ 
  6. A copy of last year’s federal and state returns, if available. â¶Ä¯ 
  7. Proof of bank account routing and account numbers for direct deposit such as a blank check. â¶Ä¯ 
  8. 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¯ 
  9. 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¯ 
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