What is VITA?
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to those who generally make $56,000 or less, those with disabilities and limited English-speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals.
Important Information for Your 2019 Tax Year Filing
SNHU-VITA will be open for the tax year on February 11, 2020 and closed on April 10, 2020. We will not be open from March 09-13 due to spring break.
Date of Return
The due date for the US individual income tax return for tax year 2019 is April 15, 2020.
Standard Deduction Increases
The standard deduction for taxpayers who do not itemize deductions on Schedule A (Form 1040) changes every year. The standard deduction amounts for the 2019 tax year are:
- $24,400 - Married filing jointly or qualifying widow(er) with dependent child
- $18,350 - Head of household
- $12,200 - Single or married filing separately
Please note: There is a higher standard deduction for those filers who are age 65 or older, or legally blind.
Earned Income Credit (EIC)
For 2019, the amount of credit increased.
The maximum credit is:
- $3,526 with one qualifying child
- $5,828 with two qualifying children
- $6,557 with three or more qualifying children
- $529 with no qualifying child
Filing Status
| If your filling status is... | AND at the end of 2019 you were… | THEN file a return if your gross income was at least… |
|---|---|---|
| Single |
Under 65 65 or older |
$12,200 $13,850 |
| Married filing jointly |
Both under 65 |
$24,400 $25,700 $27,000 |
| Married filing separately |
Any age |
$5 |
| Head of household |
Under 65 65 or older |
$18,350 $20,000 |
| Qualifying widow with dependent child |
Under 65 65 or older |
$24,400 $25,700 |
How VITA Can Help
| Will Prepare |
Will Not Prepare |
|---|---|
| Form 1040EZ | Schedule C |
| Form 1040A with SCH 1,2,3 & EIC |
Complicated Schedule D |
| Form 1040 with SCH A, B, C- EZ, D, EIC, R & SE |
Schedule E (Rents & Royalties) |
| Form 1040-V |
Form SS-5 (Requests for SS number) |
| Form 1040-ES | Form 2106 (Employee Business Expenses) |
| Form 2441 (Child & Dependent Care Credit) |
Form 3013 (Moving) |
| Form 8812 (Additional Child Tax Credit) |
Form 8606 (Nondeductible IRA) |
| Form 8863 (Education Credits) |
Form 8615 (Minor's Investment Income) |
What to Bring
The Day of the Service:
- If you file as married, both spouses need to be present.
- Original (no copies) of Social Security cards for taxpayer, spouse (if married) and any dependents being claimed.
- If you do not have a Social Security card, you can apply or obtain more information at the following location:
- Social Security Administration
2 Wall St # 301
Manchester, NH 03101
603.641.2180
- Social Security Administration
- Picture ID for taxpayer and spouse (must be a driver's license, state issued ID card or another official document)
- All W-2's for all places worked in 2019
- Voided check or savings account number on a bank document for direct deposit
- If you received a premium tax credit in 2019 through the Affordable Care Act marketplace (Obamacare), form 1095-A
If Applicable
- Copies of any 1099's issued
- Bank account interest year-end statements
- Student loan interest statement
- Proof of child care expenses paid (statement from provider with EIN or Social Security Number)
- Statement of post-secondary education tuition expenses paid
- Social Security year-end statements
- Any other documents related to taxes
If Itemizing:
- Copies of 2019 mortgage interest statements
- Real estate taxes statement
- Proof of charitable donations
- Statement of work-related expenses
- Auto registration
- Receipt of tax prep fees paid last year
- Statement of safe deposit box fees
- Statement of mortgage points paid
Tax Returns That Won't be Prepared:
The types of returns listed below will not be prepared through this program:
- Business returns, unless a sole proprietor with 1099 income
- Returns involving stock transactions or trading
- Returns with excessive or diversified investments
- Returns for people with complicated pension issues
- Returns with ITIN's or returns for illegal aliens
- Returns for people who have income property
- Returns for people who have been paid "under the table"
- Returns with dependents who may have already been claimed on someone else's return
- Returns for people who do not have all of their W-2's or all of their required documents
- Returns for refund shoppers (just checking refund amounts to compare with another tax prep service)
- Prior year returns
Exemptions
The links below will guide you in determining what exemptions you cannot claim, how to claim an exemption for a dependent and the rule for more than one person claiming the same qualified child on their return.
Income
The link below is a list of common taxable income as well as common non-taxable income.
For more information, see the IRS website articles below:
Deductions
| For tax year 2019, if the taxpayer's filing status is: |
Your standard deduction is: Standard Deduction Definition |
|---|---|
| Single or married filing separate return | $12,200 |
| Married filing joint return or qualifying widow(er) with dependent child |
$24,400 |
| Head of Household | $18,350 |
* There is an additional standard deduction for elderly or blind taxpayers, which is $1,300 for tax year 2019. The additional standard deduction amount increases to $1,650 if the individual is also unmarried and not a qualifying widow(er).
Itemized Deductions:
- Should I Itemize?
- Itemized Deductions Ceiling
- Medical and Dental Expenses
- Deductible Taxes
- Home Mortgage Points
- Interest Expense
- Charitable Contributions
- Casualty, Disaster and Theft Loses
- Miscellaneous Expenses
- Business Use of Home
- Business Use of Car
- Business Travel Expenses
- Business Entertainment Expenses
- Education Expenses
- Employee Business Expenses
Location & Hours
Southern New Hampshire University
2500 North River Road
Manchester, NH 03106
Webster Hall VITA Tax Prep Services Webster Hall, Lobby Tuesday (2:00 pm-7:00 pm) and Friday (2:00 pm-7:00 pm) Walk-ins welcome, no appointment needed.
Or, find us on Facebook.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are the students certified as VITA volunteers?
Students are required to take an IRS approved exam. Where VITA training is conducted in conjunction with college courses, exceptions may be allowed only at the discretion of the IRS VITA coordinator.
What do I need to bring to receive the tax help?
Bring your Social Security card, a letter from the Social Security Administration or a copy of last year's return if you filed electronically in order to receive assistance.
What if more than one person claims my child on their tax return? How does this affect my tax benefits?
The IRS will use the tie-breaker rule to determine which taxpayer is eligible for benefits such as the dependency exemption, head of household filing status, credit for child and dependent care expenses, child tax credit and earned income credit.
What types of income are non taxable?
There are many types of non-taxable income. Examples of non-taxable income are included on the income page.
When is Tax Assistance Available?
Students will not be available during spring vacation. Other times are listed on the home page of this web site.
Which filing status should I choose?
Filing status is based on your marital and family situation at the time of the year end (December 31). Choosing your correct filing status is important to make sure that you have the lowest tax liability.
Who is eligible for tax assistance?
Those eligible to receive tax assistance are the elderly, low income and multi-lingual individuals.
Who will help me with my taxes?
Students in SNHU's special topics in accounting course have been certified by the Internal Revenue Service to participate in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program this winter.