To help take the stress out of Tax Day 2024, CSUN’s VITA Clinic is offering free tax preparation assistance to low-income families and individuals from Jan. 22 through April 15. Photo by Lee Choo.

The calendar may say January, but April 15 will be here before you know it and taxes will be due.

To help take the stress out of Tax Day 2024, California State University, Northridge’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Clinic in the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics is offering free tax preparation assistance to low-income families and individuals, including non-English speakers, people with disabilities and veterans, from Jan. 22 through April 15 at CSUN and more than a dozen satellite locations throughout Los Angeles County.

“Our faculty, staff and dedicated volunteer staff of over 300 students are eagerly waiting the launch of the tax season later this month,” said Rafael Efrat, Bookstein Chair in Taxation and director of the CSUN VITA Clinic. “We hope to build and expand on the service we have provided to the community year after year for the past 53 years. Our goal this year is to serve over 8,500 low-income taxpayers in Los Angeles County.”

The CSUN VITA Clinic is staffed by IRS-certified student volunteers and will be available to taxpayers six days a week at a variety of locations, including in CSUN’s Bookstein Hall; Las Palmas Park and San Fernando Public Library in San Fernando; Sun Valley Public Library; Valley Plaza Branch Library in North Hollywood; Grandview Library in Glendale; Mid Valley Regional Public Library in North Hills; Pacoima Public Library; Panorama Public Library; Goldwyn Hollywood Regional Library and the nonprofit Inclusive Action for the City in Los Angeles. A complete list of locations, date and times can be found on the clinic’s website.

The clinic accepts walk-ins, but it is highly recommended that taxpayers schedule an appointment through the VITA website. A list of documents and forms of identification taxpayers must bring to their session can be found on the website. The maximum gross income limitation per tax return has been set at $64,000.

More than 300 CSUN student volunteers complete intensive training on handling federal and state tax returns. Aside from tax preparation, some of the students are trained to serve as financial coaches to the taxpayers at the clinic. In addition to providing service to the community, the CSUN VITA Clinic also gives students an opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge and experience in their field of study, and an opportunity to give back to the community.

Launched in 1970, the CSUN VITA Clinic is housed in the Bookstein Institute for Higher  Education in Taxation, located in the Nazarian College. The clinic provided assistance to more than 8,500 low-income taxpayers in 2023, generating more than $8 million in refunds to low-income taxpayers and $2.8 million in federal tax credits.

For more information about the CSUN VITA Clinic, call (818) 677-3600, email VITA@csun.edu or visit its website.

Bookstein Chair in Taxation, Bookstein Institute for Higher Education in Taxation, David Nazarian College of Business and Economics, Free Tax Preparation, Rafael Efrat, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Clinic