LSBE offers help filing taxes

Tax season is here. For many, this means confusion, procrastination and stress.

Students at the University of Minnesota Duluth Labovitz School of Business and Economics are using their knowledge about taxes to help for the greater good.

Popular health websites like WebMD actually have articles about the stress of tax season and what causes it. The “emotional toll of taxes” can affect relationships and personal well-being, among other things, according to their website.

“A 2004 survey sponsored by the American Psychological Association found that nearly three-quarters of Americans cited money as a significant source of stress,” according to an article from WebMD.

Even the Internal Revenue Service knows tax time is stressful. Their website lists six tips to make filing taxes easier, including not procrastinating, visiting the IRS website, using Free File, trying IRS e-file, not worrying about owed taxes and requesting an extension of time to file.

LSBE’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program is available for those who need assistance filing taxes. The students who help are able to get course credit for participating in the program, which allows them to get real life experience and work with clients.

The VITA program offers tax help to UMD students as well as members of the Duluth community. According to UMD’s VITA program website, over 950 people were helped in 2015.

The only catch is that the person(s) asking for help have a low to moderate income. In other words, those who made less than $54,000 the previous year are eligible for service.

VITA will offer tax help in the LSBE building as well as at the Duluth Public Library. For more information and specific times VITA is available at each location, visit their website.

Contact VITA at (218) 726-6779 or umdvita@d.umn.edu with any questions.