As April 15 quickly approaches, Loyola Law School’s Volunteer Tax Assistance program is revving into high gear for its 26th consecutive tax season, offering free tax filing assistance for people who can’t afford it. The program, staffed by trained Loyola volunteers, provides free tax preparation to families with incomes under $40,000 a year.
VITA is a national non-profit program designed by the Internal Revenue Service with chapters around the country. The Loyola chapter has already helped more than 100 families file their taxes this year, with the busy home stretch of the season still to go, said law school budget director Andrew Piacun, site coordinate of Loyola’s VITA program.
Associate law professor William “Bill” Neilson launched the chapter in 1982. In 1984, the American Bar Association recognized it as the best VITA site in the country.
Piacun said VITA provided him a way to give back to the community after Hurricane Katrina.
“After the hurricane, (Loyola’s) College of Law held a full semester of classes at the University of Houston’s Law Center,” he said.
“Throughout the long days, weeks and months, my family and I, along with those of us working for the law school in Houston, received immeasurable help from many people, including many whom we would never meet … On a personal level, it is an opportunity for me to give back to others in honor of all the blessings and support we received after Katrina.”
The program is coupled with a certificate program in tax law at Loyola that requires students to take 12 credit-hours of tax law in addition to volunteering for 50 hours of public service. In addition, all Loyola law students are required to do pro-bono work to graduate, a requirement that can be satisfied through the VITA program.
The benefits of working with VITA, however, go beyond earning college credit, according to students who participate.
“VITA is a great program that means a lot to the students and faculty at Loyola as well as the greater New Orleans community,” Loyola law student Stuart Coleman said. “Students, faculty and staff at Loyola take pride in making the Loyola VITA program on of the best in the country. It saves money in tax preparation fees for those who need it most, as well as alleviating a great deal of anxiety and confusion. Helping others and seeing the look on taxpayers’ faces when they walk away with their return is payment enough.”
Loyola law student Matt Miller expressed similar sentiments.
“In the VITA program, I have clients throughout the area and I heard many war stories stemming from the hurricane,” Miller said. “I don’t just prepare (the clients’) returns, but talk to them and tell them how to make their tax situation a little better next year with regards to withholdings and such. I really enjoy using the skills that I have been given to show people that tax time shouldn’t be as dreadful as most people make it out to be.”
Piacun said the program fits perfectly into the university’s mission by putting Jesuit ideals to work through community service.
“The VITA program is both an educational tool and the beginning of the law school’s attempt to teach the importance of pro-bono work,” Piacun said. “The Jesuit tradition is to help others, and that’s what we are teaching. Of course, the dean also buys pizza each Saturday for the volunteers, but that’s just lagniappe.”
Sam Blackwood can be reached at [email protected].
