Business Adjunct Professor Michael Shamgochian is in his third year coordinating a program which provides free tax preparation service to the greater community.
A dedicated group of about 26 volunteers, comprised of current students, alumni and community members are preparing state and federal tax returns for free. Over 350 taxpayers used the service last year. “So far this year we have prepared returns for 300 taxpayers already,” said Shamgochian. “We expect to surpass last year’s numbers. It grows every year.”
The program has been in place at WSU for over 30 years and resided in the Math, Business and Sociology Departments.
All of the volunteers receive IRS training and are IRS certified. In addition, every return is reviewed by Shamgochian and volunteers use computer software for all calculations to eliminate mathematical errors.
“Students receive valuable work experience – It’s a great resume builder,” said Shamgochian. But he said students also take great pride in the valuable service they provide. “We had a mom come in to work on her tax return and she brought her daughter along. The daughter knew that any tax refund would go to pay for a dentist visit,” explained Shamgochian.
“Our volunteers understand – and take pride in knowing that their work that helps taxpayers receive a refund that will pay for family expenses like dentist appointments, computers, or school supplies.”
For more information, visit www.worcester.edu/tax prep [1] or contact vita@worcester.edu. (Email is best due to high call volume.)