Media Contact: Teddy DeRosa, tderosa@fairfield.edu, 203-254-4000 ext. 2118

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (January 28, 2015) — Fairfield University’s Dolan School of Business is hosting their third-annual Tax Return Preparation Services on Fridays from February 12 to March 18, 2016 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Services are provided by appointment only. Please contact Patricia Pivarnik at ppivarnik@fairfield.edu or call 203-254-4307 to schedule an appointment.

The income tax prep office at the Dolan School is part of an IRS program that includes offices in the greater Bridgeport area, staffed by Fairfield University students and volunteers who have completed both a technical and professional conduct certification process under IRS supervision. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) services offered include electronic filing (federal and state); direct deposit refunds; and retired and self-employed income tax return preparation. Volunteers also help advise clients on benefits screening, financial education and how to turn refunds into long-term financial security.

The complimentary service is part of the VITA program, sponsored by the IRS in coordination with the Connecticut Association of Human Services (CAHS) and other organizations, including the United Way. The goal of the program is to help taxpayers file their income tax returns and obtain all tax credits they are eligible for, including the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC).

Dolan School of Business students volunteering at VITA sites are mostly accounting majors enrolled in an elective course that includes a service-learning component. At the same time, students gain IRS tax preparation experience to help them prepare for a career in tax.

“The VITA program we are offering both on campus and in Bridgeport is a great community service to low income families and individuals, especially during these difficult economic times,” explained Ahmed M. Ebrahim, CPA, Ph.D., associate professor of accounting at Fairfield University. “In addition to saving low income taxpayers a significant amount of tax preparation fees, helping to bring millions of tax refund dollars to our local economy, the VITA program’s focus on the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) encourages low income families to seek employment and earned income which, ultimately, helps to lift them out of poverty.”

Dr. Ebrahim is coordinating the second largest VITA site in the greater Bridgeport area in terms of the number of returns filed and refunds generated. During the 2015 tax season the BICC site at 525 Clinton Avenue, Bridgeport and the Dolan School of Business service filed tax returns for more than 600 clients and helped to generate over $1,500,000 in refunds.

For more information about VITA offices located in Bridgeport, Stamford, Norwalk and additional locations in Connecticut, visit http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Find-a-Location-for-Free-Tax-Prep .

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Posted On: 01-28-2016 03:01 PM

Volume: 48 Number: 48

Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University’s five schools.  In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The University is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.