VITA Tax PreparationBRANCE JONESEDGE PROJECTSOUTHERN UTAH UNIVERSITY

The EDGE project

• As a student at SUU, I got to choose a project that would help me highlight my experience as an undergraduate student.• For my project, I wanted to do something related to

accounting, my major. I decided to help with the VITA program which assists local Cedar City folks with their tax return preparation. I sat down with them, reviewed their tax documents, and helped them make sure that they were getting the best possible tax return. Then the return was reviewed and E-filed that same day.

Meeting great people• One of my favorite returns

was for a fellow from Enoch that works for the Forest Service here in Southern Utah. He spends a lot of his time doing wilderness conservation and making sure that maintenance for trails and campsites is up to date. We swapped outdoor adventure stories, and by the time his tax return was done, I had made a new friend.

Working with other students• One of the volunteer

days, Mitch and I took some pictures. The list we are pointing at is the list of volunteers that have finished a tax return and are waiting to be reviewed.

Helping out local citizens• One of the students that I

helped that day was willing to let me get a picture while we were reviewing her W2.• I completed close to 30

tax returns during my volunteer time with VITA.

Different types of tax forms• Many of those that came

in for tax help were students. We would use a form called a 1098T like this one to see if they had school expenses that they could write off. Students can find this through the SUU Portal.

Closing• In the end, working with the

VITA program ended up being a fantastic experience. • I got to meet lots of great

people, and help them get some money back. It was a satisfying experience, and I learned a lot.