GREENEVILLE – People needing assistance with their income tax return preparation turned to Tusculum University in record numbers this year.
Tusculum students and community volunteers prepare income tax returns at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Johnson City. Dr. Harold Branstrator, standing in the blue shirt, assists one of the preparers.
Tusculum students and community volunteers completed 1,017 returns as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. This was the first time Tusculum’s VITA program, which provides free income tax return preparation to eligible participants, has cracked the 1,000 barrier and fulfills a longtime goal for organizers.
“We are grateful for the community’s continuing trust in our services and are excited we have helped so many people with a process that can be complex and challenging,” said Dr. Harold Branstrator, an associate professor of management at Tusculum, who oversees the VITA program. “We enjoy serving the community through this much-needed program and look forward to helping people navigate the tax system again next year.”
Typically, the VITA program completes 700-800 returns a year. Dr. Branstrator attributes the increase this year to additional awareness that Tusculum provides this service and that the tax preparation is free. Many university employees also utilized the service this year, and the VITA program had a lot of repeat clients.
The VITA program provides free income tax return preparation for people who meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Generally earn $70,000 or less a year
- Are older than 65
- Have a disability
- Are limited in their English-speaking abilities
Students and community members, under Dr. Branstrator’s supervision, perform the service at the Meen Center on campus, at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Johnson City and at the Washington County Library in Jonesborough.
“This program is a great way for our students to take what they have learned in the classroom and, through additional training, apply their knowledge in a hands-on manner,” Dr. Branstrator said. “For community members, it is a great way to develop additional skills and learn more about the tax system. Both groups also benefit from being civically engaged and easing the minds of their clients, who might find tax return preparation to be intimidating. We ensure our clients receive a complete and proper return.”
Angela Sanchez, left, prepares an income tax return at the Washington County Library.
Twenty-one students, a Tusculum department chair and five community members participated in the program this year. Among the preparers this year were Parker Bales, a senior, and Angela Sanchez, a junior.
Sanchez, who is pursuing a major in accounting and a minor in tax, joined the program this year as part of the VITA class and had a great experience completing people’s returns.
“I loved it,” she said. “I’m very good at communication and everything with that, and I love being able to help others be able to get this done, especially getting it done for free. That helps a lot of people.”
After completing some initial returns, Sanchez talked to Dr. Rhonda Fawbush, associate professor of accounting and business law, and enrolled in a tax policy class and began her pursuit of licensure as an enrolled agent with the Internal Revenue Service. That status will give her the most highly recognized tax professional certification available in the United States. It will give her limited attorney power for tax matters and enable her to represent a client in front of the IRS.
Also, as a result of her time in VITA, she has changed her career plans and now wants to complete tax returns for a living. Previously, she had eyed more of a bookkeeping career.
Parker Bales, left, prepares an income tax return at the Meen Center.
Bales, who is majoring in business administration with a concentration in information technology and is also pursuing a minor in web design, also became involved in VITA as part of his coursework. But he also found value from a knowledge standpoint that could help him with his own tax return. As was the case with Sanchez, he liked VITA and the completion of returns. He graduates in May but said he will probably volunteer again in 2025.
“It’s always something different,” Bales said. “It’s not the same exact experience every time because everybody has different living and work situations. Every time you file somebody’s return, it feels like a different challenge or experience and challenge. In the beginning, it was rough, but as it went on, it became pretty easy.”
Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president, was thrilled with this year’s outcome.
“The VITA program is a tremendous outreach program and shows how seriously we take connecting with the community,” he said. “Our students greatly benefit from developing the hard and soft skills Dr. Branstrator teaches them, and they also learn from teaming with the community members who are also helping prepare tax returns. Dr. Branstrator has developed an exceptional program, and we are thankful for his mentorship and guidance as he helps our students become career-ready professionals.”
Anyone who is interested in participating in VITA as a preparer can email Dr. Branstrator at hbranstrator@tusculum.edu. Further information about the program is available at https://web.tusculum.edu/vita/. To learn more about the university, please visit www.tusculum.edu.