Creighton University accounting students provide free tax preparation help

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - There’s no reason to fear Uncle Sam, no matter how bad you think it will be.

“With the right help, there should be no reason to fear. There’s a lot of opportunities you can take to get money back.”

Those opportunities are there for everyone -- seniors who may no longer be able to get online and file, and others who think they don’t make enough and may be spending too much.

“A lot of tax filings, it’s around $200 to get them done,” said volunteer Micah Navarro. “We do them for free through the IRS, and that’s the difference. That’s groceries for a month.”

Navarro and fellow volunteer Kellan Ryan are students who took part in the Volunteer Tax Assistance Program at Creighton University.

“It reinforces what we teach in the classroom because they have to actually apply it,” said professor of accounting Dr. Tom Purcell. “The larger benefit, I think, both for them and for the community is they use these talents to serve people that would otherwise have to go and pay a significant cost to a paid preparer.”

The VITA program is for those making $60,000 or less. Many senior citizens don’t realize they may have deductions they didn’t know about.

“I think there are a lot of new tax credits out there, so that Nebraska property tax credit, that’s a great way that we see plenty of clients getting money back just for owning property,” Ryan said.

If you’re a senior, or perhaps technologically challenged, call 211. They’ll provide you with a list of locations that are able to assist you with free tax assistance.

Keep in mind you’ll need to make an appointment in most cases, so it’s recommended you call and register as soon as you’re able -- and when in doubt, you can help your elderly family members file for an extension online.

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