Golden Apple: Bemidji State University Students Offer Free Tax Help

For more than 25 years, BSU’s Department of Accountancy, has offered annual free federal and state tax preparation and e-filing that is sponsored by the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. This year, the IRS is offering its VITA tax and e-filing software free to anyone.

Photo Credit: Bemidji State University

Though anyone can take the tax courses that BSU offers, they are typically required classes for business students that are majoring in accounting, or they can be elective classes for students taking accounting as a minor.

BSU Adjunct Instructor of Accounting Dr. Sandra Kranz says that prior to COVID-19, students were able to offer 300-400 tax returns a year for people in-person on campus. But due to COVID-19 restrictions, it has been difficult to do so, and many have had to resort to online taxing.

Kranz also shared that BSU offers a link on their school website for a program called FSA that can help both students and non-students file their own taxes online for free, while students that have taken tax courses already are on standby to offer help.

Bemidji State University will be offering tax help for both students and non-students through tax season, which goes through April 18th this year. More information can be found on the BSU website.