MONMOUTH COLLEGE

VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE (VITA) RESULTS

ACCT364 (SERVICE LEARNING THROUGH THE VOLUNTEER RETURN TAX PREPARATION PROGRAM)

 

 

YEAR

(5) FEDERAL

RETURNS

PREPARED

STATE

RETURNS

PREPARED

(6)

OTHER

ASSIST

TOTAL

PREPARED/

ASSISTED

% ∆ FROM

PREVIOUS

YEAR

FEDERAL

RETURNS

E-FILED

STATE

RETURNS

E-FILED

TOTAL

RETURNS

E-FILED

% Δ FROM

PREVIOUS

YEAR

 

# OF

STUDENTS

# OF

COMPUTERS

AT A SITE

(4) 2007

414

414

5

833

24%

344

327

671

15%

20

3

(3) 2006

333

328

9

670

24%

294

288

582

49%

11

3

2005

271

265

6

542

13%

198

192

390

38%

12

3

2004

232

 

 

236

10

478

55%

143

139

282

50%

15

3

(2) 2003

 

150

152

7

309

8%

97

91

188

23%

17

2

2002

146

137

 

2

285

16%

79

74

153

56%

19

2

2001

123

123

0

246

31%

49

 

49

98

14%

20

2

(1) 2000

94

 

94

0

188

Not Available

43

43

86

Not Available

Not Available

2

Monmouth College has three VITA sites:  Campus location (McMichael Academic, Room 308); Warren County Public Library; Galesburg Public Library.

If a conservative estimate is made that each prepared return would have cost the taxpayer $30.00 (not including any peripheral schedules, which many of the taxpayers have (such as Earned Income Credit and Schedule A)), and that each e-filed return would have cost the taxpayer $20, the savings to those in the community who can use those dollars for endeavors other than tax preparation (such as food, clothing, shelter, education) can be estimated to be $38,260.  Not only that, but the Internal Revenue Service has documented that our three sites have returned $328,476 in federal refunds to our communities (this is based on the efiles only – paper returns and the state refunds would increase this amount substantially).


 

(1)        Indicates the first year of e-filing at Monmouth College.

 

(2)        Indicates the year in which Monmouth College began transmitting its own e-filed returns.  In previous years, the e-file set-ups were mailed to our VITA coordinator in Springfield who transmitted the returns.  Any refund that the taxpayer is expecting is sped up immensely by having MC transmit the return the day that it is prepared.  Transmitting returns requires additional resources in terms of time and skill.

        

            Also, indicates the year in which Monmouth College became an international student VITA site.  A number of the VITA students volunteer to become separately certified to assist foreign student taxpayers.

 

(3)        Indicates the year in which Monmouth College began serving the disabled of the Warren Achievement Center.  Returns prepared and e-filed in 2006: 47 fed and 47 state = 94; 2007: 42 fed and 42 state = 84.

 

(4)        Indicates the year that the Galesburg Public Library site was established.

 

(5)        The federal return would be the best indicator of “families” assisted during the tax season.  A family could be a single taxpayer, a married couple, or single/married taxpayer(s) with dependents.

        

(6)        Other assistance consists of:  answering tax questions of the taxpayer, reviewing the taxpayer-prepared return, and determining if the taxpayer needs to file.