Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
The School of Accountancy's Beta Alpha Psi is proud to provide free income tax preparation and filing services to the local community. Since 2003, Beta Alpha Psi has worked with the IRS to train volunteers and provide services. Two student members of Beta Alpha Psi serve as the VITA coordinators planning, organizing, and running the program. A faculty advisor oversees the coordinators and the program. The other volunteers are typically School of Accountancy students, Law students, and alumni. School of Accountancy faculty, using IRS and self-created materials, educates and trains the volunteers to prepare and file tax returns. The volunteers must pass three separate certifications before they volunteer to prepare tax returns through the program. The coordinators and faculty advisor must pass additional certifications for their positions.
2026 Coordinators
Lane Dowell, JD/MAcc student from Mason City, ILLexie Lingle, MAcc student from Anna, IL
Who qualifies?
The free tax preparation services are available to any U.S. citizen, whether single or married, as long as their income does not exceed $69,000, and they take the standard federal deduction.
When?
The services are provided on specific dates each filing season. For 2026, the services will be provided on Saturday, Feb. 21 and 28, March 21 and 28, and April 4, beginning at 8:30 am to 12:00 pm. Services are available on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointments are taken.
Where?
Basement of College of Business and Analytics, 1025 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, IL 62901.
The VITA students at SIU can only file domestic returns.
However, SIU international students and faculty may submit their information to www.getyourrefund.org, another VITA site with international certifications, to get their returns completed for free.
The services at SIU are also unavailable for people whose returns involve:
- Schedule C with losses;
- Complicated capital gains and losses
(Schedule D); - Nondeductible IRA (Form 8606);
- Minor’s investment income (Form 8615);
- Determination of worker status for purposes of federal employment taxes and income tax withholding (Form SS-8);
- Premium tax credits (Parts 4 and 5 of Form 8962);
- Foreign returns.
What to bring
In order to take advantage of the free tax preparation, community members should bring all of the necessary documents. That includes legal photo identification, such as a driver’s license, passport, or state ID, along with Social Security cards and birth dates (for spouse and dependents as well, if applicable). Taxpayers who purchased insurance through the Marketplace must bring their Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement. If a taxpayer purchased insurance through the Marketplace, the tax return cannot be e-filed until the information from this form is entered on the tax return.
In addition, bring all necessary tax documents, including all official wage, earnings, interest, and dividend statements and copies of the previous year’s state and federal tax returns, if available. Those claiming child care credits will need to bring the day care provider’s tax identification number (either Social Security number or business employer identification number) and the amount paid for child care.
Failure to provide all of the necessary information could result in the VITA students being unable to complete and file the return on-site and/or the payment of any income tax refund being delayed or hindered, Williams said. In addition, bring a blank check or other proof of bank account routing and account numbers for direct deposit if you anticipate receiving a tax refund.
Free e-filing is included with the tax preparation.
Note that when married couples are filing a joint return, both must be present to sign the required forms.
International Taxpayers
The SIUC SoA VITA site may not complete tax returns for foreign taxpayers. The Franklin University site is certified to prepare and file such tax returns and is offering its services to SIUC employees and students. Its site is virtual and located at getyourrefund.org/Franklin.
Please use the International Student Tax Preparation Process instructions (same process for students and employees) as a guide for using the Franklin site. Foreign taxpayers who are nonresidents of the US, must complete Form 13614-NR; foreign taxpayers who are residents must complete Form 13614-C.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT TAX PREPARATION PROCESS
- Register in the GetMyRefund system at: getyourrefund.org/Franklin
- Follow the instructions in the system; upload a photo of your federal i.d. (individual tax i.d. card or social security card) and drivers license, if applicable. If you have no drivers license, upload a photo of your school i.d. or any other identification with your name and picture on it. Upload a copy of the completed Form 13614-NR Nonresident Alien Intake and Interview Sheet. Then upload any pertinent tax documents for items such as wages, interest and dividends. Note that this is a secure site.
- Upload a photo of the main page of your passport.
- Once you have followed the steps in GetYourRefund, the information will come to us and an intake specialist will contact you to review the information. It will then be assigned to a preparer who may also contact you with additional questions. After that, a reviewer certified in foreign student tax returns will review the return and call you to go over the results.
- After you submit your questionnaire, you will receive a confirmation number—you should save that for easier access later.
- If you have any questions, please use Message My Tax Specialist in GetYourRefund to send a message.
For more information, email vita@business.siu.edu or call 618-453-2289.
2026 Coordinators
Lane Dowell, JD/MAcc student from Mason City, IL
Lexie Lingle, MAcc student from Anna, IL
Who qualifies?
The free tax preparation services are available to any U.S. citizen, whether single or married, as long as their income does not exceed $69,000, and they take the standard federal deduction.
When?
The services are provided on specific dates each filing season. For 2026, the services will be provided on Saturday, Feb. 21 and 28, March 21 and 28, and April 4, beginning at 8:30 am to 12:00 pm. Services are available on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointments are taken.
Where?
Basement of College of Business and Analytics, 1025 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, IL 62901.
The VITA students at SIU can only file domestic returns.
However, SIU international students and faculty may submit their information to www.getyourrefund.org, another VITA site with international certifications, to get their returns completed for free.
The services at SIU are also unavailable for people whose returns involve:
- Schedule C with losses;
- Complicated capital gains and losses
(Schedule D); - Nondeductible IRA (Form 8606);
- Minor’s investment income (Form 8615);
- Determination of worker status for purposes of federal employment taxes and income tax withholding (Form SS-8);
- Premium tax credits (Parts 4 and 5 of Form 8962);
- Foreign returns.
The VITA students at SIU can only file domestic returns.
However, SIU international students and faculty may submit their information to www.getyourrefund.org, another VITA site with international certifications, to get their returns completed for free.
The services at SIU are also unavailable for people whose returns involve:
- Schedule C with losses;
- Complicated capital gains and losses
(Schedule D); - Nondeductible IRA (Form 8606);
- Minor’s investment income (Form 8615);
- Determination of worker status for purposes of federal employment taxes and income tax withholding (Form SS-8);
- Premium tax credits (Parts 4 and 5 of Form 8962);
- Foreign returns.
What to bring
In order to take advantage of the free tax preparation, community members should bring all of the necessary documents. That includes legal photo identification, such as a driver’s license, passport, or state ID, along with Social Security cards and birth dates (for spouse and dependents as well, if applicable).
In addition, bring all necessary tax documents, including all official wage, earning, interest, and dividend statements and copies of the previous year’s state and federal tax returns, if available. Those claiming child care credits will need to bring the day care provider’s tax identification number (either Social Security number or business employer identification number) and the amount paid for child care.
Participants should also bring Letter 6419, which provides information about any Advance Child Tax Credit payments they may have received, if applicable. Failure to provide all of the necessary information could result in the VITA students being unable to complete and file the return on-site and/or the payment of any income tax refund being delayed or hindered, Williams said. In addition, bring a blank check or other proof of bank account routing and account numbers for direct deposit if you anticipate receiving a tax refund.
Free e-filing is included with the tax preparation.
Note that when married couples are filing a joint return, both must be present to sign the required forms.
For more information, email vita@business.siu.edu or call 618-453-2289.