For 53 years, Saint Mary’s and Notre Dame accounting students have been helping other students and local community members with their taxes to gain real-life client experience.
According to Colleen Creighton, director of undergraduate studies in the accountancy department and assistant department chair of the Mendoza College of Business, “Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s have the second longest continuous VITA program with the IRS.” VITA is a volunteer income tax assistance program.
The program operates at multiple locations with different teams of students working at different locations. On Thursdays and Saturdays, they work at the St. Joseph County Public Library, and on Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., they set up at Saint Mary’s College in Spes Unica Hall. The program assists Indiana residents and is open to families with an income below $67,000 and $34,000 for single individuals.
Creighton said the program started with retired accounting professor, who established it during his first year at Notre Dame. Currently, Creighton and professor Jeff McGowan, a senior lecturer for accounting and tax, work together to keep the program going. McGowan runs the Saint Mary’s site on Wednesday evenings.
The program allows students to earn course credits by preparing tax returns for low-income individuals and families. Students take a class for three and a half weeks and then help the community prepare for their tax returns due April 15.
“It’s a win-win for everyone. It’s a win for the community because they get free tax preparation services … for the students, they get real, life client experience,” Creighton said.
Junior George Henken expressed that he took the class for the hands-on experience it provides.
“In doing our service, we are able to take a hands-on approach to learning about filing tax returns and the many aspects that process entails,” Henken said.
Junior Jake Norton agreed, who said, “I took this class because I wanted to actually learn how to file taxes in the real world rather than just study taxes in the classroom.”
Sophomore Ava Stojkovich explained the value of this hands-on experience, “This hands-on experience is invaluable because it goes beyond just learning the information. It gives real-world exposure to tax preparation, improves problem-solving skills and allows for direct interaction with clients.”
Creighton said this experience helps students recognize need in their own community.
“When you see people who are cobbling together a living with, you know five or six different W2’s and you know, they’re still not making anywhere near the cost of our tuition, it can be very eye opening for our students,” Creighton said.
Stojkovich shared that she has gained a greater understanding of the specific challenges that lower income families face.
“It’s a humbling experience. Many people I’ve helped are hardworking individuals who simply don’t have the resources to hire a tax professional,” Stojkovich said. “Being able to assist them, even in a small way, feels incredibly fulfilling.”
Stojkovich added that the most rewarding aspect of the class is making a difference in the “small details.”
“Many people miss out on credits and deductions just because they don’t know about them,” Stojikovich said. “It’s also been rewarding to help fellow community members do their taxes when they don’t know how.”
Norton expressed the importance of helping people with their taxes.
“We can make a difference in our community just by helping with a small thing like taxes,” Norton said. “It’s important to help people with their taxes because everyone needs to file their taxes every year and our services are completely free.”
