Written by Phil Quinn, Associate Professor of Accounting and Founder of UW VITA
Most people rank filing tax returns just above getting dental surgery, but there is one heroic group, our very own Master of Science in Taxation students, who thrive on doing taxes, and they are offering their services for free on the UW campus.
For nearly a decade, the United Way of King County has joined forces with MS Tax to create UW VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance), a program that last year alone completed 208 tax returns with over $200,000 worth of refunds!
The UW VITA site is the only United Way VITA site in King County qualified (and certified by the IRS) to prepare both domestic and international student returns whose income is less than $80,000 per year (or less than $96,000 for non-single filers). Want to tackle your back taxes? No problem! We can file back taxes to 2019. Need help renewing or applying for an ITIN? We also can help with that! The MS Tax program is hoping to expand the reach of the students’ tax expertise by helping international students across all of King County.
If you would like to receive help with your taxes or you know of someone who could use some assistance, here is what you need to know.
What to bring:
- A social security card or international taxpayer number for each person listed on the return, as well as a photo ID.
- All your tax forms – W-2s, 1099s, etc. Take a look at United Way’s FAQ to be sure you have everything you need.
When to visit:
Open from January 28th through April 15th (except Federal Holidays and from March 15th through 30th for finals week and spring break)
- Tuesdays: 11:00 am – 2:30 pm
- Thursdays: 11:00 am – 2:30 pm
- Fridays: 11:00 am – 2:30 pm
We encourage taxpayers to visit our UW VITA as soon as they have all required tax forms, as our site gets especially busy in the weeks leading up to April 15th.
Where to go:
On the University of Washington’s Dempsey Hall in Room 212 (4273 E Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA 98195).