Welcome to the San Diego State University VITA homepage!

Taxpayers

The scope of SDSU's VITA program generally includes the following:

We will prepare returns with/for:

• Individuals earning less than $55,000 during 2012.
• Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC or EIC).
• American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning Credit (Form 1098-T).
• Scholarships and grants received.
• Form 1040 (Schedules A, B, EIC, & R).
• Dividend and interest income (Form 1099-DIV and 1099 INT).
• Non-employee compensation (NEC) (Form 1099-MISC).
• Child tax credit.
• California renter's credit.
• Educator expenses.

We cannot prepare returns with/for:

• Complex tax isues (Professors Whittenburg or Gill will decide if an issue is too complex for our VITA volunteers).
• Multistate taxation (i.e. non-California returns).
• Any sort of business/rental income (Schedule C, E).
• More than 3 stock sales (Capital gains/losses).
• Self-employment income.
• Employee business expenses.
• Minor's investment income.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) is an IRS program designed to assist low income taxpayers file their tax returns. Volunteers at this location are SDSU students that have been trained and certified by the IRS to prepare tax returns.

The complexities and the nature of tax law are obstacles that discourage and frustrate many low-income taxpayers' efforts to complete their own returns. In fact, many taxpayers who are entitled to refunds do not even file a tax return at all because they do not understand the various credits and deductions to which they may be entitled. Commercial tax preparers may be too costly an option for low-income taxpayers. This is where VITA comes into play.

SDSU's VITA program will prepare federal, state, and city income tax returns, without charge, for anyone meeting certain financial guidelines. The service is provided on a first-come, first-served basis and your returns are prepared while you wait.