OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi School of Law is again offering a free tax assistance service for Oxford-area residents this tax season.
Directed by UM law professor Deborah Bell, the service is available to taxpayers with household earnings of $51,000 or less for the 2012 tax year. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program allows IRS-certified students and professors to assist individuals with preparing basic tax returns and e-filing.
“The volunteers also inform taxpayers about special tax credits for which they may qualify, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit and the Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled,” said Richard Dooley, a third-year law student and VITA site coordinator. “The program will provide taxpayers with the use of laptop computers, wireless Internet and professional tax software. Taxpayers will be able to e-file their return and receive their refund in less than two weeks.”
Last year’s inaugural program was a huge success, Bell said.
“I was amazed by the volunteer law students’ dedication to this project in its first year,” she said. “Our 16 volunteers worked with 200 Lafayette County residents and helped to return a substantial amount of money to the local community through tax refunds.”
Despite the success of last years’ service, efforts have been made to improve the program.
“Unfortunately, some people were turned away from our site last year due to the software we used,” Dooley said. “However, this year we are excited to expand into a full VITA tax site in order to help more individuals in our community. Our goal is to put people at ease and give them peace of mind that their taxes are being prepared competently and professionally.”
The service will be available at the Lafayette County and Oxford Public Library from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday from Feb. 5 to April 4, except March 11-15.
Interested taxpayers must have the following items with them:
- Original Social Security cards for everyone claimed on the return;
- Valid photo identification;
- All income documents, such as W-2s, 1099s, etc.;
- A copy of last year’s federal and state returns (if available)
- For Direct Deposit: a blank/canceled check or bank account routing number and account number.
- If applicable, the total paid for daycare services and the daycare provider’s tax identification number (the provider’s Social Security number or the provider’s Business Employer Identification Number)
For more information, call the Oxford United Way Hotline at 662-236-4251 or go to facebook.com/OxfordFAST.