Del Mar College accounting students are offering free tax services to members of the community.
While everything is coordinated and run by the students, Adelfino Palacios, accounting program director and professor of business administration, and accounting professor Janie Blankenship are available for guidance. The preparers are all volunteers and have been IRS certified and trained to use software designed to prepare tax returns. They are partnered with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.
The Del Mar accounting program has offered this service for the past 15 years. The first year, they prepared about 75 returns total. Last year they prepared 700.
According to Palacios, the first two weeks are the busiest. They prepare about 60 returns a day and have even had to turn people away, but as the weeks go on, numbers begin to taper out.
“This service helps the students gain real-world experience as well as saving members of the community money,” Palacios said.
Any members of the community who earn less than $57,000 a year are eligible to receive these services.
The free tax services are available from 2-6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays through April 14 in Room 201 of the Venters Building on East Campus.
What you need to bring:
- Government issued photo ID
- Valid Social Security cards or ITIN numbers for taxpayers, spouse and all dependants
- Birthdates of all primary, secondary and dependants on the tax return. If married and filing jointly, both spouses must be present
- All wage and income statements for 2015 (e.g. W-2, W-2G, 1099-R forms)
- Forms 1095-A, B or C Affordable Care Act statements
- Interest and dividend statements from financial institutions (form 1099) if applicable
- Proof of day-care expenses paid in 2015 including: providers name, address and federal ID number
- Copy of last year’s federal and state returns, if available
**If you would like any refunds directly deposited to your checking account, bring a check with you to verify the account and banking routing numbers**