Tax relief at USU Eastern

If you are like most, April 15 is one of the most dreaded dates on the calendar. This deadline should not be as despicable for students, low-income individuals or seniors at USU Eastern because for the past 34 years, accounting students have been assisting individuals fill out their tax forms in the Reeves Building accounting lab.
Since 1982, CEU prepared income taxes for low-income families, seniors and students, and the best part is it’s free. USU Eastern was the first educational institution doing taxes for the students and community. Associate professor Henning Olsen, said, “Eastern was the first, the ‘flag ship’ for long-hand, computer and electronic filing . . . they need to know we’re contributing.”
The class, income tax preparation, is a two-credit class that gives students a “real-world experience” with basic finance knowledge.
Olsen said that potential professions the class prepares students for could be in accounting, public relations or as a tax preparer.
It helps students by giving them their first accounting job, Olsen said. Take an IRS exam to qualify to be a tax preparer. The class and service is also used on USU Eastern’s Blanding campus/ Senior Citizen’s Center in Price, that Olsen oversees.
It is not only students who help with the preparations, many of the people in the community assist as well. Hank Savage, for instance, comes every year just to help and make sure that the students understand what they’re doing. There are about eight students and four volunteers who help.
But this offer is not limited only to Price city. Olsen said, “People come from Carbon and Emery County.”
All that needs to be done is to turn in to Eastern the W-2 forms from last year’s employers and a tax practitioner will help with the paperwork. The questions most missed, according to Olsen, are dependents and “education credits.”
Olsen said, “Students who pay tuition and fees need to do taxes so they can be reimbursed.” The refunds can be emailed, sent directly to a bank (direct deposit) or to a house address.
How does one take advantage of this incredible offer? Eastern students are eligible and, being so, encouraged to take their tax forms in to the Reeves Building accounting lab, room 130. The hours are from 11:30 – 12:30 pm, Monday and Wednesday or by appointment.