With tax season in full swing, an alternative is available for those dreading the paperwork.

Volunteer Income Tax Association is a program run by UW-Platteville accounting students who are licensed by the IRS. VITA is free of charge to low-income individuals making $39,000 or less. The service is not limited to just students, faculty and staff. It is also available for anyone within the income qualification. No appointment is needed and the tax sessions hosted by VITA are located in Ullrich Hall room 110.

The tax service by VITA is free of charge because UW-P allows for the use of computers, software and the preparers are students who volunteer their time, Patrick Montgomery, assistant professor of business and accounting, said.

Montgomery said sessions are held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Tuesday and Sunday. The last session is on April 15. There will be no session held on March 18 because of Spring Break.

People who are interested in having VITA prepare their taxes must bring a social security card for each person on the return, a valid, state-approved photo ID for each filer, all documentation on income and deductions, copies of the previous year’s returns, a voided check for direct deposit and other documentation applying to the tax form being prepared, Montgomery said.

VITA prepares the taxes through IRS e-file tax system and prepares state taxes, Angela Minelli, volunteer tax preparer and a senior business and accounting major, said.

Montgomery said all personal information is protected and the only people who see the personal information are the clients, Montgomery, the IRS and the students who are helping the clients file the taxes.

Minelli said any papers with important information on them will be shredded so the personal information will not be seen by someone outside of VITA.

Sessions can last anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes or longer. It all depends on the type of form that the client is having prepared and if everything is documented properly, Minelli said.

“We’ve had some go multiple sessions,” Montgomery said. The time it takes for a session varies with each client and the forms being processed.

People who have their taxes prepared by VITA will have the process explained to them step-by-step so they can ask questions, Minelli said.

“We will sit down with each person and explain everything to help the client understand what is being done,” Minelli said.

This year VITA is offering a new service to people who come to file their taxes. VITA has Spanish-speaking translators on hand for people who speak Spanish.

Sonia Martinez, business administration and accounting minor, said there are three translators who rotate each session to help those in need of a translator. The Student Organization of Latinos has volunteered to provide translators.

VITA is trying to reach out to the Latinos in the area who might otherwise have a difficult time filing their taxes because of the language barrier, Montgomery said.

People with questions or who want more information about VITA can e-mail Montgomery at montgomeryp@uwplatt.edu or stop in room 110 in Ullrich Hall during one of the sessions. Information can also be found on VITA posters around campus.