Continuing a tradition started years ago by a beloved former professor, SUNY Oneonta business economics and accounting students have been busy this month preparing income tax returns for the campus community and beyond.
Through the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, 17 students were extensively trained and are available through April 13 to provide free basic tax return preparation and filing for SUNY Oneonta students and employees. The initiative is also open to area residents, but they must qualify for VITA, and the team is only accepting simple tax returns at this time.
Working in teams of two, the students have filed tax returns for 27 people so far, with more appointments scheduled. Appointments can be made Mondays and Wednesdays starting at 5:15 and take place in the Hodgdon IRC building, Room 120.
A Tribute to Jeff
SUNY Oneonta has been a VITA partner organization for many years, thanks to William "Jeff" Weinell, a lecturer and academic advisement coordinator for the School of Economics and Business who passed away in 2020. Weinell, who also served as a mentor and advisor to various campus clubs, initiated and grew the VITA program which, while he ran it, was held off campus and was a volunteer opportunity for a small number of students.
After a year off because of COVID, the program is now being held on campus, which is a first, and has been turned into a class, which Assistant Professor of Accounting Charlene Foley-Deno teaches.
“This is an incredible experiential learning opportunity for our students,” Foley-Deno said. “They are not only putting into practice what they’ve learned in the classroom but they’re also getting to interact with community members and help simplify a process that, for many people, can be confusing and stressful.”
Seniors Abigail Gifford, Anthony Baglivo and Melanie Soesman volunteered with Weinell since the program’s inception and have seen it grow into what it is today. Gifford and Baglivo serve as student reviewers/coordinators, and Soesman is an assistant coordinator.
“My mom was a CPA, so this process was always something I was aware of,” said Gifford, a professional accounting major from Northport, NY. “But this experience, because it’s completely hands-on, changed my entire understanding of taxes and what she did. It’s a different way of learning, and it’s really been great.”
“That’s What It’s All About”
All VITA volunteers must take and pass 50-plus hours of IRS tax law training, which includes maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of 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 site prior to filing.
“For me, having this experience was what helped me land an internship,” said Baglivo, a business economics major from Brooklyn, NY, who hopes to be a business underwriter someday. “It’s the first thing on my resume that people ask me about because that’s what it’s all about – getting that hands-on experience.”
Gifford said she believes Weinell would be proud and pleased that she and her classmates and Foley-Deno are carrying on his project and building upon it.
“I wish he was here to see how the program has expanded from just a few students to a full-blown class and having moved onto campus,” she said. “But I think he’s probably looking down and amazed, maybe laughing at us a little to see us working out the kinks. But I think he’d be very happy and proud.”
To schedule an appointment, contact Jesse Holland at jesse.holland@oneonta.edu or 607-436-3251.