NMSU VITA program continues free tax-filing assistance to community

Following a successful tax season prep last year, New Mexico State University is once again offering its free tax filing assistance program to underserved individuals in the NMSU and Las Cruces communities.  
 
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) is an IRS-backed program that recruits volunteers, trains NMSU accounting students in tax law and tax software, and prepares them to assist taxpayers with filing their tax returns.  
 
Services are available from 9 a.m. to noon every Friday during the remainder of the tax season in Business Complex, Room 108, through April 11. Services will be closed March 14 during spring break. The program is led by the Coalition for Family Economic Progress, which is headed by GECU Community Development, whose team applies for and runs the federal grant and organizes all the VITA tax preparation sites. 
 
Last year, the VITA program prepared a total of 204 federal income tax returns for the 2023 tax year and a total of 202 New Mexico income tax returns.  
 
“We know that in our first year, many people may not have realized we were there to help, so it’s important to keep the program going, provide continuity of support for our community and our students,” said Rebeca Pérez, assistant professor in NMSU’s Department of Accounting and Information Systems. “Typically, the taxpayers coming to our site are not comfortable with filing the return on their own, even if it’s a free online service. When you consider what a federal and state return costs to be prepared by a paid preparer, and multiply that by 200 returns, it turns into a pretty significant cost-saving for our community.”  
 
This year, there are 28 students participating in the VITA program, five of whom are repeat participants. These students earn course credit for their participation, and a few others are simply volunteering.  
 
“In school, there has always been a slight disconnect between what you learn in class and the real-world application of it, and the VITA program bridges that gap,” said Joseph Ruby, a second-time participant. “Being able to provide this wonderful service to the taxpayers of Las Cruces has allowed me to deepen my understanding of the tax code while affording myself and others to be present in the community.”  
 
“This is my first time participating in the VITA program, and it was a little daunting at first,” said Steven Trujillo. “I have never prepared tax returns before this, and I was terrified of making a mistake. Thankfully, Dr. Pérez is an excellent teacher, and the students who have participated in the program before are there to support first-time participants like me. We are all volunteers, no one is getting paid, aside for class credit, so it is in everyone's interest to make sure everyone succeeds in serving our community.”  
 
Students participating in the VITA program gain not only fulfillment to their academic credit requirements, but also valuable training and real-world tax experience.  
 
“It is imperative that students volunteer in programs such as VITA because it provides them with an experience that you could only otherwise gain in the workforce,” Ruby said. “This allows students to truly grasp what they are getting themselves into for the rest of their career, but in a low-stakes environment. We are able to transmit returns to the IRS with our names attached to the return, which is a great honor. The ability to learn the nuances of the tax code is an invaluable experience that many students, including myself, will continue to cherish throughout our career.”  

“As a student and volunteer, I am certified by the IRS to file taxes. I gain tax knowledge, problem-solving skills, attention to detail and client interaction by participating in this program,” said Karla Alvarez, a first-time participant.  
 
So far, the response from taxpayers who go to receive services have been grateful and appreciate the convenience and accessibility of the location on campus.  
 
“Several taxpayers I spoke with last year knew about the VITA program but had to go to El Paso to have their returns prepared there,” Pérez said. “I think they also like to know that the service is provided by students. They like seeing our students involved in something positive.”  
 
“From what I’ve observed, the Las Cruces community greatly appreciates the VITA program,” Alvarez said. “Many of the individuals and families we assist express their gratitude and relief because they don't have to worry about preparing their taxes alone or have to pay expensive prices for tax services. Seeing the impact our work has on the community makes the effort feel meaningful.”  
 
Beginning March 21, the program will prioritize non-resident returns, targeting NMSU international students. Pérez explained that NMSU is one of only two sites in the region that provide tax preparation services for non-residents, which are subject to different tax rules.  
 
“We have a large group of those individuals in our student population, namely, international graduate students earning income as part of their graduate programs,” she said. “These students are new to the U.S. and to the tax system, and are often overwhelmed by the requirement to file a tax return. We help that group of students, and personally, I take much pride in providing that service for those individuals. Of the 202 federal returns we filed last year, 85 were 1040-NRs (the non-resident returns).”

The program operates on a first-come, first-served basis, and Pérez reminds those interested in receiving services to visit the program as soon as possible, and to visit during the early hours of the day.  

For a complete list of what to bring, visit https://www.freetaxeselpaso.org/what-to-bring. For more general information about the VITA program, visit https://www.freetaxeselpaso.org/.