CARLISLE, Pa. — Dickinson Law students are offering free tax preparation services to people with low and fixed incomes, people who have disabilities or special needs, and senior citizens aged 60 or older, on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m. from Feb. 6 through March 28 at Dickinson Law, Lewis Katz Hall, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
All interested individuals should schedule an appointment by calling 717-240-5130.
Tax assistance is offered to qualified residents of Carlisle and surrounding communities through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program sponsored by the IRS. All Dickinson Law student volunteers are certified by the IRS and are trained to identify taxpayer eligibility for certain tax credits, including the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Dependent Care Credit, and Credit for the Elderly.
Bob Gavin, class of 2020, who serves as co-coordinator for this year’s VITA program with Ian Brinkman, class of 2019, first volunteered with the program last year as an opportunity to work with members of the community and provide a much-needed service.
“I find this experience to be a great way to apply the practical skills of the Law School curriculum. This is an important service for our community," said Gavin.
Student volunteers will prepare and electronically file federal, state, and local tax returns. Taxpayers must bring photo identification and Social Security cards for self, spouse, and dependents; all tax forms, including W-2s and 1099s; any other relevant information about income and expenses; and bank routing number(s) and account number(s) for direct deposit of any tax refund due.
The tax clinic is located in Rooms 120 and 124 of Lewis Katz Hall, 150 South College Street, Carlisle. For directions, visit the law school’s website. Taxpayers may park in the faculty parking lot at the corner of South and College streets and should use the front entrance by the columns on College Street. An accessible entrance with an elevator is located at ground level of the building labeled Trickett Hall to the left of the stairs and columns.
The tax clinic will be closed on March 6 and March 7.
This is the 36th year that student volunteers from Dickinson Law are offering free tax preparation services. Since 2003, student volunteers have prepared more than 5,000 federal, state, and local tax returns for taxpayers, plus their spouses and dependents, residing in Cumberland, Perry, Dauphin, York, Franklin and Adams counties.