Free Quality Tax Preparation For Everyone (Learn and Serve America Grantee)

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Site (VITA) at Santa Barbara High School was the first high school to be issued an electronic filing number by the Internal Revenue Service in order to file tax returns. This VITA site prepare about six hundred to eight hundred tax returns for low income families, students, and the elderly. All tax returns are prepared at no charge and all student volunteers are certified by the IRS. By doing this, VITA provides students with valuable experience and training, while saving the community large sums of money.

For over thirteen years, the Dons Net Cafe has proudly hosted a tax service program known as VITA. Every year, students run this program to prepare the taxes of the community. At VITA, no one is discriminated against or turned away. Usually, an accountant will prepare a taxpayer's return for at least $200.00. When our customers learn that we charge nothing for quality tax preparation, they are overjoyed. One such year, a homeless man left our VITA site crying because he was treated so well and his taxes had been filed without any cost to him. Every year members of the community experience this tax site in similar ways.

The impact which VITA provides upon the community is colossal. Thousands of dollars are saved due to this tax site. Also, all students who are involved with VITA are more likely to get into the colleges they wish to go to and are more likely to get high paying jobs.

See the article.