Law students and professors at the University of Mississippi are helping make sure that everyone has access to tax preparation assistance with free services for low-income residents in Oxford and Lafayette County.<\/p>\n
The School of Law’s Pro Bono Initiative, directed by Deborah Bell, is offering the assistance to taxpayers with household earnings of $57,000 or less in the 2011 tax year.<\/p>\n
The program, called Free Assisted Self-Service Tax Preparation, or FAST, allows IRS-certified students and professors to assist individuals with preparing basic tax returns and e-filing. The program includes the use of laptop computers, wireless Internet and professional tax software. Taxpayers will be able to e-file their return and receive their refund generally in less than two weeks.<\/p>\n
The FAST service is offered at the Lafayette County-Oxford Public Library from 3 to 7 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday through April 17. For convenience, the service will also be open two Saturdays: Jan. 28 and Feb. 4.<\/p>\n
“The best thing about the program is that it satisfies a huge need for tax assistance in the Oxford area,” said Emily James, a third-year law student and the FAST site coordinator. “Many FAST-qualifying taxpayers pay for filing assistance and end up in financial trouble because they don’t get the refund they expected. We offer a completely free service so taxpayers can keep the entire amount of their refund.”<\/p>\n
Besides benefitting the community, the program provides learning experiences for students, Bell said.<\/p>\n
“This program helps the community, but is also a great chance for law students to connect with the community, learn interviewing skills and practice their tax knowledge,” Bell said.<\/p>\n
Interested taxpayers must bring the following items for their taxes to be prepared:<\/p>\n
– Social Security numbers for everyone claimed on the return<\/p>\n
– Valid photo identification<\/p>\n
– All income documents, such as W-2s, 1099s, etc.<\/p>\n
– For direct deposit, bring a canceled check or bank account routing number and account number<\/p>\n
For more information, call the Oxford United Way hot line at 662-236-4251 or visit http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OxfordFAST.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"