Bunker Hill Community College

BHCC in the News

2008-02-07 - Bunker Hill Community College Offers Free Tax Assistance

Boston, February 7, 2008 – It doesn’t take an accountant to tell you the value of getting assistance with your tax return—this year you can obtain tax preparation help for free. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program at Bunker Hill Community College is available to help you fill out your state and federal tax returns free of charge. BHCC operates one of the largest VITA programs in the region, preparing returns for thousands of taxpayers each year.

Volunteers in BHCC’s VITA program are advanced accounting students who have passed a course in Federal Income Taxation, earned certification by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and taken additional training from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Initiated by the IRS in 1969, VITA is a nationwide program that assists taxpayers earning up to $50,000 a year. VITA sites are generally located at community and neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls and other convenient locations such as community colleges. 

“This program gives our students an opportunity to really make a difference in the community while also putting to use the skills they have acquired while studying at Bunker Hill,” said Meghan Naim, VITA Coordinator. “We have gained a reputation in the Boston area for being a resource for tax assistance and generally have numerous repeat customers from year to year.”

BHCC volunteers will be available in room D206 at the College’s Charlestown Campus, 250 New Rutherford Avenue, through April 15, 2005. Appointments are not necessary, but individuals are encouraged to arrive with time to spare as customers are taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Parking is limited and patrons are encouraged to take the MBTA Orange Line to the Community College station.

The VITA hours of operation at BHCC are Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Clients are reminded to bring all W-2 forms and other pertinent records when they come to the College. This paperwork can include last year’s state and federal taxes; Social Security cards for taxpayers and dependents; unemployment statements; 1099 forms; stock purchase information; excise, property, real estate and other tax documents; business expense and day care receipts; medical and tuition proof of payments and amount of rent paid.  Anyone over the age of 18 must also bring 1099-HC for proof of health insurance due to the new state law requiring all residents to have insurance.

Bunker Hill Community College is the largest community college in Massachusetts, enrolling more than 8,800 students on two campuses and at five satellite locations each semester. BHCC is one of the most diverse institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth. Six in ten students are people of color and more than half of BHCC’s students are women. The College also enrolls more than 600 international students who come from more than 95 countries and speak 75 different languages.

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