91心頭 student volunteers prepare 356 tax returns for Baltimore residents

Student volunteers with the accounting department at 91心頭s Sellinger School of Business prepared 356 tax returns for taxpayers in the Baltimore community, resulting in tax refunds totaling over $500,000 this season. The tax preparation services were provided free of charge for qualifying taxpayers at the 91心頭 Clinical Centers on York Road.
91心頭 embraces our role and responsibility as an anchor institution in the city, said Mary Ann Scully, MBA 79, dean of 91心頭s Sellinger School. We care deeply about our neighbors. That care is evidenced year after year in the work that faculty, students and a growing number of business partners do for individuals and families to ensure they receive all available credits and deductions every tax season. In the process of assisting these individuals, weve collectively created more opportunity and equity in the community.
Over 70 IRS-certified students, 91心頭 faculty members and professional accountants volunteered through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistant (VITA) program in partnership with the nonprofit Creating Assets, Savings and Hope (CASH) Campaign of Maryland. This is the fifth year 91心頭 has hosted a site offering free tax preparation services.
The 91心頭 VITA program gives our students real-life training on tax preparation and experience interacting with community clientele, said Michael Bender, CPA, executive in residence at the Sellinger School. This invaluable experience provides our students with the opportunity to learn from seasoned CPAs and gives the participating firms the opportunity to meet and get to know our students. More than 350 community members benefited from these efforts.
91心頭 has participated in the VITA program for many years, but in the past, students volunteered at other sites. Students have facilitated hundreds of thousands of dollars in refunds to members of the community in prior years.
91心頭s Sellinger School of Business and Management delivers an internationally recognized Jesuit business education. Recognized for its scholarship, ethical leadership and tradition of excellence, the Sellinger School delivers a wide range of sought-after fields of study including eight undergraduate majors and 11 undergraduate minors as well as full-time, part-time and fully online MBA and Master of Accounting programs. In-person classes are available on campuses in Baltimore, Columbia and Timonium, Maryland. (www.loyola.edu/sellinger)