Our “Learn Early. Live Smarter” initiative offers students a unique opportunity to:
- Learn a practical skill – how to prepare their own tax returns – which they will be able to use throughout their lifetime.
- Learn basic tax laws that will enable them to make better financial choices in the future, making it less likely that they will become one of the many thousands of taxpayers who are faced with a tax-related debt every year.
- Provide a valuable service to the community while gaining experience that will reflect positively on their future resumes, and
- Reap the benefits that are associated with volunteerism.
In short, students learn a practical skill and gain valuable knowledge about taxes while engaging with actual clients in real-life situations, all of which prepares them for college, career, and life.
We are currently seeking educators who would be willing to expand this initiative in their schools. Training and training materials are provided free of charge. For more information, please use the contact form or email [email protected].
Testimonials
“Going through the VITA program was a good experience for me. It taught me how to prepare taxes and know the rules I must follow when filing a tax return. . . . I feel like this is a great program because it certifys [sic] students to do basic tax returns in an easy, understandable manner and because it teaches us a valuable life skill that could be useful in the near future. Thank you for this opportunity.” Kalani High School Student, Age 16
“When I was watching my partner complete a tax return, I thought it was pretty easy. But when I had to do a return it was pretty difficult. . Thank goodness …was helping us because I feel the client would either get the wrong amount or we wouldn’t be done until the next tax year. Once I get better at taxes, I’ll be volunteering again because it was a good time and I enjoyed it. “ Kalani High School Student, Age 17
“It was actually kinda fun filing taxes. I wouldn’t mind doing it all day I guess. It seemed pretty easy. It generally went well, but if I had to change something that I did it would probably be the time that I completely screwed up someones 1040 really badly so the instructor had to take over for a bit.” Kalani High School Student, Age 15