FMU students offer free tax return prep through April 9

Francis Marion University’s tax accounting students are offering free tax return preparation through the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

The program begins January 29 and runs through April 9. The service will be available every Wednesday from 5:00pm to 9:00pm, by appointment only. There are 13 appointment slots per hour. Appointments are held in the School of Business/School of Education building.

FMU accounting professor Dr. Brad Johnson says students from the Tax Accounting II class have been trained at the advanced certification level to prepare and file individual, state, and federal tax returns using the tax preparation platform TaxSlayer.

The VITA program is a partnership between FMU and the Internal Revenue Service that provides the TaxSlayer platform to students for free.

Taxpayers who participate in the program must bring a photo ID and a list of their spouse and all dependents appearing on their tax return. Taxpayers should also bring their W-2s and 1099 forms.

The program is open to all United States residents, and there are no income requirements for the service. Both state and federal taxes can be prepared.

For more information or to set up an appointment, please call Dr. Johnson at 843-661-1427 or email bjohnson@fmarion.edu.