By Dylan Lightfoot
The only things certain are death and taxes — so the saying goes. For most college students, however, April 15 is now the more pressing of the two concerns.
Many universities across the country offer income tax preparation assistance for students and faculty during tax season. The University of California-San Diego, for example, facilitates a confidential income tax assistance service every March and April staffed by certified tax consultants who volunteer their time.
Other schools, such as the University of Texas, furnish Web resources that walk students though the process of preparing and submitting their own returns.
But, although many University of Louisville students living on their own for the first time will also be filing income tax returns for the first time, none of the student services departments provide such assistance.
According to Student Government Association Services Vice President Bill Brammell, the question is whether an obvious need for such a service exists.
"It’s a good idea," Brammel said. "But I’ve never heard students discuss that demand."
Regarding the possibility of the SGA exploring the option, Brammell said, "it would be hard for SGA to do this kind of thing unless we can find people who will volunteer."
But other options are available to students who are not tax-savvy. A frequently asked questions page can be found at the Internal Revenue Service’s Web site, http://www.irs.gov, where students can also download the necessary tax documents for filing. Clicking the "Free File" option opens a list of tax preparers for students wishing to file online. The site also features a refund tracker that lets users know when their check has been mailed.
One common misconception among students is that, since they are typically single and don?t earn enough to pay taxes, they cannot claim deductions. However, this may not be the case.
Virginia Kleir, an office supervisor for Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, said that all students are entitled to deduct "any out-of-pocket tuition and books they paid for last year."
"All students can do this," Kleir said. "Sometimes it will help on federal returns, but it will always help on state [returns]… as long as they are students."
Students who don’t want to wait weeks for their return can instead file with a tax service. There are dozens of firms to choose from in the Louisville area, and some, like Jackson Hewitt, offer student discounts that keep the cost of filing in the $25-$30 range.
However students decide to file their returns this tax season, the soundest advice is that they educate themselves about the tax code, find help if they need it and get every dollar they have coming to them.
Students wishing to file their own taxes can find forms available on the bottom floor of Ekstrom Library.
