Free Tax Return Help Provided by Bowie State Students

Local Residents & BSU Students Get Professional Service at No Cost

MEDIA CONTACT: Damita Chambers, dchambers@bowiestate.edu, 301-832-2628 mobile 

(BOWIE, Md.) – To provide much needed relief to underserved taxpayers, Bowie State University accounting students, trained as certified tax preparers, are volunteering to prepare free tax returns for local residents and their peers, who may struggle to afford professional tax services.

Taxpayers can visit bowiestate.edu/taxprep to request an appointment at least two business days in advance Monday – Friday from 12-6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Center for Business & Graduate Studies. The program will run through April 10, 2020, except during spring break from March 16-21.

The BSU College of Business is an official site for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) initiative to provide free tax preparation services for taxpayers who generally make $56,000 or less annually. The students complete an IRS online certification program, qualifying them as professional tax preparers. This year’s program coordinator is Dr. Satina Williams, a certified public accountant (CPA) and an assistant professor in the Department of Accounting, Finance & Economics.

During the appointment, students meet with the client for an intake interview and collect their tax documents. Working with BSU accounting faculty who are CPAs, the students prepare the tax returns – at no charge – and complete them usually within a few days.

For the BSU students, the chance to help people and practice their skills as they prepare for a career in accounting is invaluable. Several graduates who previously volunteered in the VITA tax preparers have landed jobs in the accounting industry.

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About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit bowiestate.edu.