Tax return preparation help available for area low-income taxpayers

The University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College will provide free tax return preparation services to low-income families again this year through the Vivian Harrington Gray Tax Assistance Program (TAP). Services are available from February 4 through April 15 according to the following schedule:

• St. Mary’s College: Wednesdays from 5 p.m.- 8 p.m., Spes Unica Hall, Room 340. There are no services on March 15 or April 6. Call 574-284-4501 to register.
• St. Joseph County Public Library Main Branch: Saturdays from 9 a.m.- 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-4 p.m.; Thursdays from 5 p.m.- 8 p.m. There are no sessions on March 11, March 18 or April 8. The February 11 and March 25 sessions will be held at the library’s Francis Branch located at 52655 N. Ironwood, South Bend, Indiana. Call 574-282-4646 or visit sjcpl.org to register.

TAP provides tax return preparation services to U.S. citizens or residents whose family income is less than $60,000 and individuals whose income is less than $35,000. The program only prepares returns for Indiana residents; it does not prepare returns for those who have earned income outside the state of Indiana. Notre Dame and Saint Mary's students staff the sessions. Each one is required to undergo tax law training to meet IRS standards to be a registered Volunteer Income Tax Assistance participant. In addition, the student’s technical training is supplemented with information covering ethics and the maintenance of the privacy and confidentiality of taxpayer information. Ken Milani, an accountancy professor at Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, started TAP in 1972 out of recognition of the need for free tax preparation services provided by reliable and trusted individuals. In 1999, the family of Vivian Harrington Gray endowed the work of the important program in honor of Gray’s long-time support for both the University of Notre Dame and the volunteer income tax programs. The generosity of her family continues to fuel the mission of TAP. For more information, visit the TAP website.