Friday, January 29, 2010
Fri, 29 Jan 2010
For the second year, Liberty University School of Law offered the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, a free service that assisted taxpayers in the preparation of income tax returns. Volunteer Liberty law students staffed the program and each volunteer was certified by the IRS to prepare income tax returns. The VITA program was available to low and middle-income taxpayers.
Mathew D. Staver, Dean of Liberty University School of Law, stated: “Our faculty and students are committed to providing pro bono legal services to those who need assistance with preparing their tax returns. The program has been very successful because of the commitment of our students. I am very proud of them for using their legal skills to help those in need.”
Last spring, 26 Liberty law students completed the IRS certification process. The students prepared 127 income tax returns and volunteered 185 hours preparing the returns, not including the time spent organizing the event or earning certification. Approximately $200,000 in Federal refunds were obtained for the program’s clients.
For more information about the VITA program, visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov.