The IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals; and for the second year, Fernley High School Students will be participating. FHS is one of only two schools in the state offering VITA.
The VITA program has operated for over 50 years and offers free tax help to people who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns, including:
- Persons aged 60 and over
- People who generally make $60,000 or less
- Persons with disabilities
- Limited English-speaking taxpayers.
While the IRS manages the VITA Program, each site is operated by IRS partners and staffed by volunteers who want to make a difference in their communities. VITA services are free, and are a reliable and trusted source for preparing tax returns. All VITA volunteers who prepare returns must take and pass tax law training that meets or exceeds IRS standards. This training includes maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of all taxpayer information. In addition to requiring volunteers to certify their knowledge of the tax laws, the IRS requires a quality review check for every return prepared at a VITA/TCE site prior to filing. Each filing season, tens of thousands of dedicated VITA/TCE volunteers prepare millions of federal and state returns. Please visit the IRS VITA site at https://www.irs.gov/.../free-tax-return-preparation-for... for additional information.
FHS VITA is composed of students in grades 10-12 who have taken 2-3 years of Accounting. These students have volunteered their time outside of school to prepare for and take the IRS Certification Exams, students will continue to volunteer their time through the tax season in order to serve members of the community. VITA students are certified in Basic Taxes, and their services are free for those who qualify. Students saw their first clients on Feb 7; and will operate on Tues/Wed/Thurs through tax season by appointment only.
Anyone interested in speaking with an FHS VITA student regarding tax preparation can email [email protected], and a student will contact you outside of school hours. If community members do not have access to email they can contact the Fernley Senior Center at 775-575-3370 for assistance scheduling an appointment. They ask that no calls be made directly to the high school as students will not be able to accept incoming calls.
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