Ohio Dominican Accounting Students Lend Their Help To Others At Tax Time

February 17, 2005

COLUMBUS, OH – Accounting students at Ohio Dominican University will learn firsthand about the value of community service as they hone their tax preparation skills.

Sixteen students in Dr. Robyn Hulsart’s Accounting Internship class have been certified by the Internal Revenue Service to be IRS VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) tax preparers. Ohio Dominican has been approved by the IRS as a VITA site, offering free tax preparation services to seniors and low- income individuals.

Students in Dr. Hulsart’s class have completed a three-part IRS exam that certifies them for tax preparation. The students run heir own tax business, under the supervision of Dr. Hulsart, Assistant Professor of Business and Finance.

The program is an extension of Ohio Dominican’s longstanding tradition of service to those in need in the surrounding community. The tax preparation program began in 2002, when Dr. Hulsart’s students provided the service to approximately 40 of the University’s international students. The program has grown in popularity, as more and more community residents take advantage of the free service.

“We’ve found this program to be quite beneficial in bridging a student’s experience between the classroom and the community. It’s a win-win for everyone…the students, and those they serve,” said Dr. Hulsart.

“I really am enjoying my experience with this program, said Jason Smith, a senior from Ontario, Ohio, majoring in Business Administration with a minor in Accounting. “It gives us an opportunity to help those less fortunate and for us to learn something at the same time.”

Michael Lee, a senior, from Cincinnati majoring in Finance, with a minor in Accounting ,
agreed with his classmate. “I found that you can give something to the community and actually receive something in return,” he said.

Students will prepare the following tax forms:

Form 104EZ
Form 104! With Schedules 1, 2, 3 and EIC
Form 1040 with Schedules A, B, C-EZ, D, EIC, R and SE
Form 1040-V
Form 104-ES
Form 2441 (Child and Dependent Care Credit)
Form 8812 (Additional Child Tax Credit)
Form 8863 (Education Credits)

The program runs through April 15. Individuals must schedule an appointment during daytime or evening hours. The student tax preparers are located on the first floor of Sansbury Hall on the Ohio Dominican campus, 1216 Sunbury Road. Individuals may park in the Visitors Lot directly behind Erskine Hall, or in the Main Visitors Lot directly west of Sunbury Road, across from Alumni Hall.

To schedule an appointment, call 253-3558. For more information about the program, contact Dr. Robyn Hulsart at 251-4563 or hulsartr@ohiodominican.edu.

Ohio Dominican University is a four-year liberal arts institution, founded in 1911 in the Catholic and Dominican tradition. The university has nearly 3,000 students and offers undergraduate degrees in more than 50 majors as well as several graduate degree programs. Ohio Dominican uses a student-centered approach, with a commitment to quality teaching and learning and a number of academic programs of distinction.