Central College and its accounting faculty and students once again are offering free income tax preparation services for Marion County residents. This assistance is made possible through a grant from the Iowa Center for Economic Success.

Students will prepare taxes on a volunteer basis under the supervision of accounting faculty through the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. The purpose of the program is to assist lower-income taxpayers with free tax preparation services. Generally, the VITA services are open to individuals with less than $56,000 in annual income, limited English speakers and those with disabilities.

“This is a huge learning opportunity for our students,” says Maggie Fisher Schlerman, associate professor of accounting and a 2002 graduate of Central. “This is real tax work, real training. It’s our goal to give that to our students, and it’s also a great benefit for our community.”

Clinics will be held during tax season in-person with proper safety protocols at the Weller Center for Business and International Studies on Central’s campus. Clients also will have the option to conduct appointments online. Appointments will be from 4-8 p.m. Tuesdays and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. Appointments will not be held March 15-19 during spring break. The program will begin scheduling appointments Monday, Jan. 25.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call or text 641-629-6729 or email centralcollegeVITA@central.edu.