Woodrow Wilson students receive certification to help with IRS filing

Press Release
February 9, 2015
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It’s taxing work, but 20 students in the National Finance Academy at Woodrow Wilson High School are up for the challenge.

The students spent the past few months studying an online course called Link and Learn Taxes provided by the Internal Revenue Service. They took their last test on Jan. 31 and now will be able to offer tax preparation help through the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, or VITA.

It will be the first year for Woodrow students to be able to provide assistance with tax returns, and their help will be offered for free to the community.

“There are a lot of opportunities that could come out of it,” said junior Angie Murillo, 17. “In the end it will be worth it, because not everyone can have this experience.”

Murillo and her classmates will receive community service hours for their work and have learned about ethics, tax laws, and IRS rules and regulations as part of their training.

“What the kids do is really like having a class after school,” said finance teacher Denise Tucker, director of the National Finance Academy at Woodrow. “It goes in a little bit deeper than what they learn in class.”

Junior Lissete Mendez, 17, said she decided to join the VITA group because it was an opportunity to learn more.

“Math has always been my strong suit,” she said.

Tucker said she is always looking for new ways to add to what Woodrow offers its students. So when she heard about the program at a conference in Washington, D.C., she decided to look into it.

“This is all a learning experience for the kids at Woodrow,” said Johnnie Bowers, a senior tax consultant with the IRS who has worked with Tucker on Woodrow’s VITA certification.

Bowers said kids often think they don’t need to file their own tax returns, which could cause them to miss out on getting a tax refund.

She said through the process, students also learn computer skills, economics and how taxation works.

“It has a lot of value to it,” Bowers said.

All returns prepared through the VITA program are confidential, Bowers said. She said the program was designed to help elderly taxpayers, low-income taxpayers and people with disabilities.

Woodrow is one of several Texas high schools that will offer VITA programs this year. Bowers has also worked with one of those schools, A.J. Moore Academy in Waco. That program was named the most productive high school VITA program in the nation by the IRS two years ago, she said.

“I see Woodrow Wilson wanting to do as well and meet the challenge,” Bowers said. “I’m glad that they’re doing it, because so many people don’t really hear good things about young people.”

Bowers said the VITA program is nearly 50 years old, and through it the IRS partners with organizations and community groups. And for a while now, she said, that has included colleges and some high schools.

“In the last few years we’ve worked with schools,” she said. “We’ve been promoting it nationwide.”

Woodrow’s National Finance Academy started four years ago, and Tucker is in her third year as director. It was part of the school’s reorganization into four preparatory academies: Creative and Performing Arts; Business, Entrepreneurship and Finance; STEM and International Baccalaureate.

Students take courses in business, economics, accounting, finance, investments and more, Tucker said. They are also required to create a working business plan for competition with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship and complete a paid internship between their junior and senior years of high school.

“Being in the finance academy prepares me for my future,” said junior Aremonta Lewis, 17. Lewis said he has always been interested in business and chose to be part of VITA as an extracurricular.

“It prepares you for the real world,” he said.

His classmate, Vaughn Ferron, 18, is participating because he wants to own his own business. Ferron, who is originally from Jamaica, said it’s a good group to be in.

“It’s fun because we all know each other,” he said. “It’s not all work.”

The Woodrow students will offer assistance through April 15 by appointment only. They will be available in the evenings and can prepare taxes in English and Spanish.

“She’s [Tucker’s] going to ensure that the kids understand tax law. That is the primary goal. And once they do, they can explain to any individual, Spanish speaking or not, what the requirements are,” Bowers said.

Tucker and another Woodrow finance teacher, Terri Monday, worked with the students on the course materials and preparation for their tests. Tucker said what they learned built on what they were learning in their finance academy classes.

The kids are enthusiastic about getting started, Tucker said, and have a goal of preparing at least 100 tax returns by April 15.

White Rock/East Dallas editor Ananda Boardman can be reached at 214-977-8503.

MORE INFO

Woodrow students will be available to help with tax preparation through April 15.

Assistance will be offered at the school, 100 S. Glasgow Drive. An appointment is required to receive help; bilingual assistance is available. To make an appointment, call 972-502-4400.

AREA TAX ASSISTANCE

Libraries and community centers in the area offer both VITA tax prep and AARP Tax Aide during tax season.

To find a VITA location near you, visit irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep or call 1-800-906-9887.

AARP Tax Aide is offered for free to those with low-to-moderate income, particularly those over the age of 60. To find a location near you ,visit tinyurl.com/taxassistance or call 1-888-227-7669.

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