March 26, 2001

The University's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program will prepare simple federal and Connecticut state income tax returns free of charge for low-income U.S. residents and nonresident aliens. Help is available to members of the University community and to the public.

The sessions are offered Tuesdays in Room 217, School of Business Administration, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. until April 10. Sign up is in Room 214 before the session starts.

The program is offered on a first-come, first-served basis to adults with an income under $20,000 a year or married with a combined income under $40,000. Those who are self-employed, or who have securities or IRAs are not qualified to participate; no forms containing business income or capital gains can be prepared.

The Storrs campus VITA program is staffed by 24 student volunteers who are trained by UConn accounting faculty using IRS materials.

In addition to the help offered through VITA, tax information for nonresident aliens may be found on the internet. For the first time, nonresident aliens who are students at the University may download software to help them prepare their taxes via a special website link.

Approximately 20 students from the School of Law are staffing a VITA site in Hartford's Federal Building at 135 High St. The student volunteers will be at the site every Thursday from 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon until April 15. Returns may be filed electronically from this site.

Sherry Fisher