Tax returns a cinch thanks to Center for Community Resources program
SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — Abby Logsdon’s mother works 40 to 60 hours each week and still prepares her family’s tax returns every year.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, operated by the Center for Community Resources, was an opportunity for Logsdon to become knowledgeable on how to prepare tax returns for other people, as well as for her own family.
“I want to help her do taxes so it’ll help me out with that,” said Logsdon, who is in her last year as an accounting major at Slippery Rock University. “I have watched her do it, but with this knowledge I can help out more.”
Logsdon was just one of 24 SRU students who signed up to help with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, run by the Center for Community Resources. The program, VITA for short, is a long-running free service that provides volunteers to prepare income tax returns for people and households that have less than $60,000 in annual income.
VITA coordinator Phil Schmeltzer said the program isn’t seeing any major changes this year, even with revisions in the federal tax policy.
“There’s no change to the income requirement ... It’s really simple to sign up and have your taxes done,” he said.
On Friday, Jan. 16, Schmeltzer led a training at Slippery Rock University. Students looking for experience were invited to sit in to get firsthand experience working on tax returns. According to Schmeltzer, 24 Slippery Rock students are volunteering this year, an increase from 17 last year.
Schmeltzer explained that even though most of the students are doing this work for the first time, each VITA location will have staff on hand to double check the completed tax returns to make sure they have been done correctly.
“I just want them to be at ease because it’s going to be a learning process for them,” Schmeltzer said.
People who sign up for the VITA service will have their state and federal taxes accurately prepared. The program can also provide financial literacy and resource connections to help them plan for the future, according to the Center for Community Resources’ website.
People can sign up and schedule an appointment with VITA by dialing 211, or by visiting the Center for Community Resources website.
The service is active at five locations in Butler County — Clearview Mall, the Cranberry Township Municipal Center, Slippery Rock University, St. Luke’s Lutheran School and Harvest Community Church. The sites are the same as they were last year, except for the Cranberry Township location, which was at the Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA in 2025.
Schmeltzer said people looking to have their tax return filed need to bring their appropriate tax documents, as well as a photo ID and their Social Security card, or a Social Security statement. If a person is filing a tax return jointly, the person who attends the appointment needs to bring a Social Security card for the other person as well.
Schmeltzer said the federal government is moving away from sending paper checks to people who are getting money back from their return, so people with appointments should bring their banking information as well.
“We can help them get it deposited directly,” Schmeltzer said.
Other people are also able to volunteer to help with tax returns. They have to complete a training each year to be able to volunteer. This will be the 10th year that Brian Connell will be a VITA volunteer. He said the program makes it easy for pretty much anyone to get their taxes done, even if they have several tax documents to account for.
Connell added there are several people at each VITA location at all times, so every tax return that gets filed gets reviewed by more than one set of eyes.
“It’s a collaborative process,” Connell said. “Most of the learning is going to be sitting down and working with taxpayers.”
Connell was at the class Jan. 16 to help support Schmeltzer as he led the class.
The course covered everything the students need to know about filing a tax return over about eight hours. The course additionally tackled software used to file tax returns and Schmeltzer said learning how to use it is “half the battle.”
The course culminated in a test, which volunteers for the program have to complete before being able to help with VITA.
Diana Ouro-Koura, a senior accounting major at SRU, said she took the class and signed up to help with the program to gain some experience in accounting and financial work, but also to do some volunteer work.
“I think it’s fulfilling to give back,” Ouro-Koura said during the class.
A majority of the students volunteering for the service are majoring in accounting or another finance field, with several of them being in their final year of college.
Ouro-Koura said the program was also a great opportunity to get some real-world experience in the field she hopes to work in postgraduation.
Connell said he has always done his own taxes, but the chance to help others with their taxes was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. Aside from wanting to help people finish their taxes — an annual task that can be difficult — Connell said he wanted to be helpful to the other people who would be helping with that same task.
“I saw an opportunity to help and I also wanted to meet people,” Connell said. “It’s a great group of people.”
Income taxes for 2025 are due April 15, and appointments will be taken by VITA until that date.
