MILWAUKEE — Tax season is upon us and as people get ready to prepare, process and electronically file their returns, accounting students at Milwaukee Area Technical College are offering help free of charge.
“I do think there's a lot of good programs that people can use for free but you also need to know the specific laws of Wisconsin so our students can help navigate,” said Danica Olson, MATC Accounting faculty member.
Through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, Wisconsinites can work with a student directly to make sure their taxes are filed correctly.
“We can prepare these returns for free and I just don't want people wasting their money on a service that overcharges you for a tax return that can be done accurately by our students,” said Olson.
An added bonus: taxpayers can also get help filing in 14 different languages, including Spanish, French, Arabic and Hmong.
Faculty advisor Danica Olson, who is one of the two teachers reviewing the student-filed returns, says the need to offer assistance in more than just English is great and she’s proud of her students for being there for the community.
“Our students speak these languages as their first language and we are trying to provide, obviously tax assistance to the community but also an opportunity for our students to get real world experience. And if they can provide that to their friends and their family and speak the language that the friends and family speak, I think that the taxpayers feel more comfortable,” said Olson.
The program runs from now until April 4, with an in-person drop-off option for people who may not have easy access to technology.
For more information, click here.
