Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program

The Washington & Lee VITA site is  no longer accepting new clients for the 2013 Filing Season.

The School of Law also sponsors a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site, which operates independently of the Tax Clinic.  While the Tax Clinic offers year-round free legal assistance to taxpayers who have post-filing controversies with the IRS, the VITA program provides free current year income tax preparation assistance for low-to-moderate income taxpayers in the Rockbridge county area each February, March, and early April.

The VITA program, which is coordinated by the IRS's Stakeholder Partnerships, Education and Communication division, requires students to undergo extensive training and an online test before they are eligible to help prepare tax returns.  As a result of this training, law students can help local residents claim valuable tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, which is a refundable credit for people who work but do not earn high incomes. 

VITA tax preparation assistance services are free to members of the community with a household income of up to $51,000 for 2012. Return preparation will be by appointment only. Volunteers cannot prepare complicated returns such as those including capital gains or losses, schedule C, or schedule E. VITA can assist with both Federal and Virginia income tax returns.