McHenry County College (MCC) accounting students and volunteers recently made a valuable difference for hundreds of community members. The College’s annual Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Clinic completed 1,136 tax returns, returning over $1.3 million in refunds for area residents.
The VITA Clinic provides free tax assistance and e-filing of federal and state returns for qualified individuals. The Clinic was open from January 20 – April 17 of this year.
“The tax clinic provides a robust internship experience for MCC students who work alongside seasoned volunteers that mentor them,” said Ann Esarco, VITA site manager, department chair and instructor of accounting at MCC. “Everyone working the clinic is required to pass IRS-mandated tests each year.”
The VITA Clinic was staffed by four students who served for 214 hours and 29 others (including community members) who served a total of 1,169 hours.
The Clinic also served as Certified Acceptance Agent for those seeking Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers. VITA volunteers also trained staff at the Lake Geneva Public Library in tax law and in the tax software used for the VITA program.
Find more about MCC’s VITA Tax Clinic.