UB School of Management students complete another year of free tax service

By Jacqueline Molik Ghosen

BUFFALO, N.Y. — During the 2026 tax season, 188 IRS-certified accounting students from the University at Buffalo School of Management brought more than $732,000 back into the Buffalo community through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

Students from the UB Accounting Association and UB’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, the international honors organization for accounting and finance students and professionals, led the initiative that provided 3,690 hours of tax service, preparing more than 650 returns for individuals and families with annual incomes below $69,000. 

“The VITA program demonstrates what it means to lead with purpose,” says Ananth Iyer, dean of the UB School of Management. “Our students provide a valuable community service and leave with skills, confidence and a deeper understanding of what business can do for society. That exchange is at the heart of everything we do at the School of Management.”

Nearly $163,000 of the total was a result of the Earned Income Credit, which targets low-income families in need of additional financial support. 

Cumulatively, School of Management student volunteers have brought more than $14.5 million in tax refunds back into the region since 2008 by preparing more than 11,800 tax returns. Approximately $3.1 million was from the Earned Income Credit.