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Law Students Volunteering to Assist with Tax Returns

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 2, 2007) – A group of University of Kentucky College of Law students is preparing for income tax season, but not just because they need to submit their own returns.  They are volunteering in a program to assist low-income individuals with their taxes.

“People come to us thinking they owe taxes to the government and, with the assistance of our students, they often walk away knowing they will instead be getting a refund,” said Doug Michael, Edward T. Breathitt Professor of Law, UK College of Law.  “They are always very grateful and that’s how we get paid, by seeing their gratitude.”

Michael, who became involved in the program as a law student, has been leading UK’s version of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for more than 15 years.  Last year, the program assisted 333 low-income households, households that make $39,000 or less per year, with tax returns and many others who had tax questions or problems.

The program often marks the first time law students step out of a hypothetical classroom scenario and into a situation where their knowledge can make a difference in the life of someone who comes to them for help, Michael said.

“The process seems easy to law students but when they see it through the eyes of someone who does not have the same skills or experience in preparing a return, the students see their desperation and realize what an impact they have made when that individual walks away with a two or three thousand dollar refund coming to them,” Michael said.

About 20 UK College of Law students volunteer for the program each year and receive no course credit for their work.  They complete 12 to 18 hours of federal income tax courses and must pass a tax certification test from the Internal Revenue Service. The UK VITA program begins Saturday, March 3 and runs through April 14 in room 47 of the College of Law. Volunteers will be available Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. and Saturday from noon until 5 p.m. Walk-ins are encouraged and asked to arrive no later than one hour prior to closing. The UK VITA program will be closed March 12–16 for spring break.

Assistance is also available at eight other sites in Lexington through the Central Kentucky Economic Empowerment Project (CKEEP), a LexLinc initiative.

For more information, visit the College of Law VITA program Web site or call the United Way 2-1-1 hotline.

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