Beginning Saturday, Feb. 3, University of Holy Cross (UHC) Tax Accounting students and volunteers will provide free tax preparation assistance for low-to-moderate income New Orleans-area residents at its campus.

UHC has partnered with the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) to offer the free tax preparation assistance throughout tax season every Saturday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. until April 6 (except on February 10 as the university is closed for Mardi Gras break, March 9 for the UHC Crawfish Boil Cookoff and March 30 as the university is closed for Easter break.) The free tax preparation will take place on the university's campus at 4123 Woodland Drive in Room 1034.

Those qualifying for assistance should bring the following items:
* Proof of Identification
* Social Security Cards for the individual, their spouse and any dependents and/or a Social Security Number verification letter issued by the Social Security Administration
* Birth dates for the individual, their spouse and any dependents on the tax return
* Current year's tax package (if one was received)
* Wage and earning statement(s) Form W-2, W-2G, 1099-R from all employers
* Interest and dividends statements from banks (Forms 1099)
* A copy of last year's federal and state returns, if available
* Bank routing numbers and account numbers for Direct Deposit
* Total paid for daycare provider and the daycare provider's tax identification number (the provider's Social Security Number or the provider's business Identification Number)
* To file taxes electronically on a married-filing jointly return, both spouses must be present to sign the required forms

The VITA Program offers free tax assistance to help low-to-moderate income people who need tax assistance. Certified volunteers receive training to help prepare basic tax returns. Most VITA sites offer free electronic filing. To locate the additional VITA sites, call 1-800-906-9887.

For more information on this program, contact Dr. Lillian Grose, Assistant Professor, at 504-398-2230 or visit uhcno.edu.

The free tax assistance is offered by the UHC's Business Department which recently added an undergraduate online and hybrid Accelerated Accounting program, a first-of-its-kind accounting degree program in the region that allows working adults to receive credit for their work experience toward degree completion. The department also offers traditional undergraduate Business and Accounting, as well as undergraduate and graduate Accelerated Management programs. For details, please visit uhcno.edu/academics/degrees-programs/index.php.