Woodbury’s School of Business Serves Community through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

The Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program opened on January 23, 2021, and closed on April 15, 2021. This program covered the 2020 income tax filing season.

Every year, Woodbury University serves the community of Burbank and its surrounding communities in-person to file income tax returns for free. Because of quarantine guidelines placed by the local governments and Woodbury University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the VITA program was 100 percent online this year. All of the VITA volunteers worked from their homes on designated laptops provided by Woodbury University. This online operation brought many challenges to taxpayers and volunteers. The high number of tax returns prepared is representative of these challenges. The students received many thanks for their service to the community giving very much needed exposure to the university.

Woodbury University, considered a VITA partner provider by the IRS, gives hands-on training on individual federal and state income tax preparation to its students and extends assistance to the financially challenged, elderly, and disabled taxpayers. The students are able to complete the graduation required internship, which include a certificate in tax law after passing several exams to test their knowledge and a rigorous mandate of IRS standards of ethical conduct, privacy and confidentiality. This culminates with the ability to prepare accurate income tax returns, which is an invaluable reference in their resumes.

Last Updated on May 12, 2021.