IRS-certified accounting students from the School of Management will again provide free tax preparation services to individuals and families with annual incomes below $54,000.

Area residents and students are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity, which will be held on the North and South campuses. The IRS estimates that using such free services can save taxpayers $100 to $300 in preparation fees.

This service can be especially valuable to low-income tax filers by helping them apply for earned income tax credits that can provide a needed boost in annual income. The tax credits, which can reduce or eliminate income taxes by refunding taxes already withheld from wages, can mean as much as $5,028 for a family with two children.

Free tax preparation will be offered from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis as follows:

• South Campus, 403 Hayes Hall, on Feb. 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, and March 2, 3, 9 and 10.
• North Campus, 103 Alfiero Center, on March 30 and 31, and April 7, 13 and 14.

Materials participants must bring can be found online.

The tax service is provided by the IRS-sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program with volunteers from the UB chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, an international honors organization for accounting and finance students, with help from the UB Accounting Association.

Frequently asked questions, maps and directions can be found online. For additional questions, send an email to mgt-freetaxprep@buffalo.edu, and a student volunteer will reply within two business days.

Note: Tax preparation for nonresident aliens requires special processing that is beyond the scope of the services provided by Beta Alpha Psi. UB international students on a nonimmigrant visa may be eligibile to use Sprintax to file their taxes.