During Tax Season, Tobin College of Business Students Are Securing Tax Refunds for Bread and Life Clients

Jennifer Maizel - February 27, 2009

It’s tax season again and seniors and graduate students from The Peter J. Tobin College of Business are working as volunteer tax preparers at St. John’s Bread and Life, providing free tax assistance to the underserved in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community. Already the students have secured $2,000, $5,000, even $13,000 in income tax refunds for individuals in the community for a total of $1.1 million as of February 24.

Spearheaded by Assistant Professor Nina Dorata Ph.D, in the Department of Accounting and Taxation at The Tobin College of Business, the Bread and Life program enlists the St. John’s students to assist clients with their tax returns during the January-April tax season. Dr. Dorata coordinates the program along with the Office of Academic Service-Learning. The program’s outreach began last year with only three students and has catapulted to more than 60 students assisting the Bread and Life community.

“Last year, our students were able to obtain a total of $40,000 in refunds consisting of earned-income credit, child-care credits and education credits,” says Dr. Dorata. “We see there is a need for this type of service and it will be a reoccurring program at Bread and Life.”

Partnership for Life After witnessing the growth from last semester’s three students to 25-and-counting, Dr. Dorata knew she could no longer coordinate the program nor fund the tax software for this vast number of volunteers. Seeking additional support, she contacted a publishing company to request software donations. The company linked her with the Food Bank of New York City, the largest food bank in the metropolitan area that also runs the largest IRS-sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program in the tri-state area. Once connected with VITA, Dr. Dorata obtained the resources needed to successfully continue the program. Within four weeks, the initiative was underway and Bread & Life is now in the position to become the next largest VITA site in the metropolitan area.

“We hooked up with Food Bank within two weeks of my asking for volunteers in November, and by December we had a VITA site location,” Dr. Dorata explains. “It all came full-circle and seemed to happen quite by accident.”

The Tobin College of Business/Bread and Life partnership with the IRS and Food Bank of NYC is a win-win situation. Community members unable to afford professional tax preparation services are receiving them without cost and students have the opportunity to apply classroom theories to the practical world. Students also collect tax return data that will allow the College to pursue future research grants, develop research projects, and offer students and graduate assistants possible research experience.

“Many of these individuals at Bread and Life not only lack the financial resources but also the educational background to do the tax returns themselves,” Dr. Dorata adds. “Through research and data collection we will be able to better understand and serve residents, especially in this community.” I believe this is a perfect match between the students, Bread and Life and the University’s mission.”

Dr. Dorata relies on the assistance of St. John’s Associate Tax Professor Laura Lee Mannino LL.M, Rita Marie Trucios, Director of Social Services at Bread and Life, and Food Exchange staff members to manage a set of criteria for students, direct the rigorous 8-hour training session, and arrange the schedule for volunteers admitted into the program.

“The tax project is still in its infancy stage this year,” Ms. Trucios adds. “What’s wonderful is the way these students jumped in to support our clients. As word circulated throughout the community about this complimentary service, we started to average about 20 people per day.”

The tax preparation program is open to residents within the Bedford-Stuyvesant community, who are of low-to-moderate income. Participants must pass an intake process and students then prepare the tax returns, which are reviewed by selected Food Bank staff for approval.

Students involved in this academic service-learning activity spend an average of 3½--4 hours per week, totaling 40 hours during tax season. Many students within the Tobin College of Business are enrolled in 15-18 credits per semester and their volunteer efforts require frequent teacher and classmate support. The students mentor each other during the pre-test and training phase and reflect on their volunteer experiences.

“I always believed that students learn quite a bit from each other and mentor each other during group settings or research projects,” Dr. Dorata adds. “Some of our international students also have business-related background and provide accounting insight to their classmates.”

The Psychic Income Many students involved in this activity understand the relevance of obtaining hands-on experience when applying for their first job in the accounting field. The program allows them to obtain tax preparation skills and build their resumes. After completion of the service, each student receives a certificate of achievement from the IRS. Dr. Dorata acknowledges that all these factors are important, but are not what she coined “the psychic income.”

“Our students are pretty savvy and know it’s good for their career but they feel good about doing something for people who really need this service,” she adds. “It’s not about putting dollars in your pockets; it’s about putting dollars in your mind. It’s the fulfillment of the soul–knowing you are doing something good for others”

Yiwen (Clarice) Mao, a graduate student in the Tobin College of Business reports, “I am so proud to be at VITA. I have received positive feedback from advisors that has helped to boost my confidence and changed my professional outlook. On my first service day, I helped a single mother with three dependents receive a tax refund. I am so excited to help families that need it most, while applying the lessons I have learned in class to the real-world.”