2008 Woodie Awards
MU students assist county residents in filing tax forms
Kelly Connolly
Issue date: 11/16/07 Section: Campus
Miami University students can lend a helping hand to low-income Butler County residents this year by working as tax preparers for the Earned Income Tax Credit Program (EITC).
The EITC is a nationwide program created by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and began in 1975 as an anti-poverty plan to reduce the tax burden on low-income families.
Volunteers for the EITC work as tax preparers, analyzing tax returns and assessing how much earned income tax credit a person is able to receive.
This is the EITC's fourth year in Butler County, said Debra Stanley, coordinator for student volunteering in the EITC and assistant director of experimental education at Miami University. And according to Stanley, Miami students have become an essential part of the program.
More than half of last year's volunteers were made up of Miami's students, with a total of 38 participating in the program. And according to Stanley, this year the EITC is staffing three sites: two in Oxford and one in Hamilton.
Any person who has earned income throughout the year can qualify for EITC, but in order to be eligible a person must meet certain requirements. These requirements vary depending on a person's total income, age and the number of people in a family.
In order to participate as a tax preparer in the program, students have to pass an online IRS test and complete a four-hour computer software training program.
While some students volunteer to participate in the EITC, others are recruited by the University Honors and Scholars Program.
According to Stanley, the University Honors and Scholars Program already has held two information sessions this year about the EITC and they are trying to get as many students involved as possible.
The honors program became involved with EITC four years ago when looking for new programs to bring to Miami's campus.
According to Stanley, since that time, students have continued to participate in the program and have enjoyed working alongside of members of the Oxford community. Stanley says that EITC is a program that brings Miami students and Oxford residents together.
"The (EITC) allows students to interact with the Oxford community," Stanley said. "They are able to form relationships with Oxford residents when they normally would not have a chance to do so."
Miami senior Sara Eagin has worked for the EICT for four years, and describes her experiences as extremely satisfying.
"One of my clients came back three years in a row, which showed how much she appreciated our services," Eagin said. "I love doing the program and really enjoy being able to give the clients refunds back because they really deserve it."
The EITC is a nationwide program created by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and began in 1975 as an anti-poverty plan to reduce the tax burden on low-income families.
Volunteers for the EITC work as tax preparers, analyzing tax returns and assessing how much earned income tax credit a person is able to receive.
This is the EITC's fourth year in Butler County, said Debra Stanley, coordinator for student volunteering in the EITC and assistant director of experimental education at Miami University. And according to Stanley, Miami students have become an essential part of the program.
More than half of last year's volunteers were made up of Miami's students, with a total of 38 participating in the program. And according to Stanley, this year the EITC is staffing three sites: two in Oxford and one in Hamilton.
Any person who has earned income throughout the year can qualify for EITC, but in order to be eligible a person must meet certain requirements. These requirements vary depending on a person's total income, age and the number of people in a family.
In order to participate as a tax preparer in the program, students have to pass an online IRS test and complete a four-hour computer software training program.
While some students volunteer to participate in the EITC, others are recruited by the University Honors and Scholars Program.
According to Stanley, the University Honors and Scholars Program already has held two information sessions this year about the EITC and they are trying to get as many students involved as possible.
The honors program became involved with EITC four years ago when looking for new programs to bring to Miami's campus.
According to Stanley, since that time, students have continued to participate in the program and have enjoyed working alongside of members of the Oxford community. Stanley says that EITC is a program that brings Miami students and Oxford residents together.
"The (EITC) allows students to interact with the Oxford community," Stanley said. "They are able to form relationships with Oxford residents when they normally would not have a chance to do so."
Miami senior Sara Eagin has worked for the EICT for four years, and describes her experiences as extremely satisfying.
"One of my clients came back three years in a row, which showed how much she appreciated our services," Eagin said. "I love doing the program and really enjoy being able to give the clients refunds back because they really deserve it."
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