Just in time for tax season, Valencia College accounting students and professors will offer free tax preparation help to the public on selected Saturdays in February, March and April.
Volunteer tax preparers will be preparing and filing tax returns at Valencia College’s East Campus. The tax sessions will be held in Building 7, room 113. The free services will be offered on a walk-in basis on the following Saturdays: Feb. 7, Feb. 21, March 7, March 28, April 4 and April 11 from 8 a.m. to noon, except for Feb. 7 when services will be provided from 9 a.m. to noon.
This is the 23rd straight year that Valencia College’s East Campus has provided free tax help to the community. The East Campus is located at 701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail in Orlando.
New this year for Osceola Campus tax prep sessions only: Valencia College’s Osceola Campus in Kissimmee will provide income tax assistance on Feb. 14, Feb. 21 and March 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., but for the first time, interested residents must make an appointment in advance. The tax-prep sessions will be held in Building 3, room 100 at the Osceola Campus, which is located at 1800 Denn John Lane in Kissimmee.
To schedule a tax-preparation appointment at the Osceola Campus, please visit: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule/2be82a85/appointment/73427313/calendar/13458386?calendarIds=13458386
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) is run by volunteers who are trained in the basics of federal income tax laws. The IRS partners with the Heart of Florida United Way to provide VITA sites throughout Central Florida. To find other VITA sites near you, check this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1y0oCLl3knfFT__2O4Cl3KnxM-YCqbqcYsU9JCABYbIE/edit?tab=t.0
This service is open to the public, and preference will be given to senior citizens, the disabled and low-income individuals. Those interested in getting tax help are asked to bring the following:
– All W-2, W-2G and Social Security SA-1099 documents
– 1099s, 1099R, interest and dividend statements
– Documentation to show other income
– A payroll pay stub at the end of the year showing overtime income
– Total day-care costs and day-care provider’s tax ID number
– Copy of last year’s return, if available
– Social Security cards for you, your dependents and/or spouse
– Driver’s license or other government-issued ID for you and your spouse
– Proof of bank account for direct deposit of refund (a voided check, for example.) The IRS has eliminated paper refund checks.
Clients who have questions or need assistance scheduling an appointment can call 407-429-2225, but please allow two business days for responses to messages.
**NOTE: VITA volunteers can only do tax returns that are in the scope of IRS rules. If you have any questions about what is covered by the IRS rules, please contact Valencia College accounting professor Cecil Battiste at cbattiste@valenciacollege.edu.