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VITA

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) at the University of Central Oklahoma College of Business provides free income tax preparation and e-filing for students, staff and the public.  The UCO VITA site is staffed by accounting students who have passed at least three tests to qualify them to prepare income tax returns.  The students are supervised by UCO accounting faculty, who check each return for correctness.

VITA is located in the College of Business, room 107.  The dates for 2023 are:

  • Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, Feb. 7-Saturday, April 8
  • Tuesdays: Open to the public for intake, document scanning and printed tax return pickup, 2-5:30 p.m.
  • Thursdays: Open to the public for printed tax return pickup only, 2-5:30 p.m.
  • Saturdays: Open to the public for intake, document scanning and printed tax return pickup, 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Practicum FAQ Apply for the Practicum

For more info about the practicum, contact Riley Shaull, at rileyshaull@uco.edu or 405-974-2846.

Taxpayer Information 

Bring the following information for your tax return:

  • Photo ID for both spouses
  • Birth dates for taxpayer, spouse, and dependents
  • Passport & visa (for international students)
  • Social Security card for yourself and for each of your dependents (or last year’s tax return)
  • W-2 form(s) from each 2022 employer.  If you had two employers, you will have two W-2 forms (you should receive these by Jan. 31).
  • 1042-S form(s) from UCO and certain other 2022 employers (for international students).  You should receive these by March 15.
  • 1099 form(s) from banks, brokerages, contract work, and other income sources.  You should receive these by Jan. 31 or Feb. 15.
  • US taxpayers should have receipts other documentation to support education expenses (including books), daycare costs, and other deductible costs. In 2020, US taxpayers may deduct up to $300 in charitable contributions without having to itemize deductions.
  • Nonresident taxpayers are eligible to deduct charitable contributions, so have your receipts.
  • A personal check (for checking account and routing number), if you want your refund directly deposited, or a balance due directly debited. 
  • If you purchased a qualified health plan from the Marketplace, you'll need your Form 1095-A.
  • If you have a health savings account, you'll need Forms 1099-SA and 5498-SA.
  • Your 2021 tax return (optional, but helpful, especially if this is your first time to file a return with UCO VITA). 

This year, we have three different ways you can have your tax return prepared:

  • Use our walk-up service
  • Use our 100% virtual option
  • Prepare your return online and e-file it yourself with OnLine Taxes

All tax returns will contain one or more "virtual" (not face-to-face with the taxpayer) elements. Because of this, each taxpayer will need to sign a consent form allowing us to prepare the return in a virtual environment. 

UCO requires everyone on campus to wear a face mask correctly and observe appropriate physical distancing. 

Our walk-up service is first-come, first-serve. This tax season, because of COVID-19, we will ask most taxpayers to allow us to scan their documents and make appointments for taxpayers to receive and sign their completed tax returns the following week. A very limited number of taxpayers may have their tax returns prepared while they wait in their cars or in an empty classroom (if available). 

In-Person Tax Service

Taxpayers will come to the College of Business.  We'll give you a consent form and an intake form to complete.  (Or you can complete these forms before you come to VITA.)

Consent Form Intake form for u.S. Residentsintake form for non-residents

You'll then return to your car (or empty classroom if available).   Your tax preparer will phone you when it's your turn to return to the College of Business.  We'll scan your driver's license, intake form, social security cards, consent form, and tax documents.  You'll make an appointment to return to sign for and receive your printed tax return. 

You will then leave.  Your tax preparer will phone you (same day if possible) and interview you.  The quality reviewer will phone you when the return is complete and go over it with you. 

Then, the next week, you'll return to the College of Business to pick up your tax return. 

Special information for nonresident taxpayers (international students):

You should be aware that IRS is not accepting e-filed nonresident returns until at least March 31.  This is very close to the filing deadline of April 15, and the UCO VITA last day is April 3.  This means all nonresident returns will be paper returns.  Also, all nonresidents will use the long Form 1040 NR, because the shorter Form 1040 NR-EZ is now obsolete.  We are strongly recommending international students to use the in-person service.  Nonresident paper returns have a lot of paper!  It can be very confusing to know which papers to send to the US and which ones to send to Oklahoma.  UCO VITA will prepare your US and Oklahoma tax returns for you to mail.

100% Online Option

To begin, go to  https://www.getyourrefund.org/uco  

Where you upload your own documents and download the printed tax return. (The link takes you to a page with the heading “OKC Tax Help/ Arnall Family Foundation;” this is correct.)  UCO VITA will prepare your tax return.  We will have a Zoom call with each taxpayer to verify ID and do the interview (the Zoom call is not recorded).   Later, the quality reviewer will phone you to go over the completed return.  When we complete your return, the software will send you an email to let you know to download your return. 

"Do it Yourself" Option

OnLine Taxes (OLT) provides free e-filing for federal and Oklahoma returns.  The 2020 income limit is $72,000.  If your income is higher, you can still have a free federal return, and the state return costs $9.95.  You can view and print your completed tax return.  You will need to know your 2021 adjusted gross income to begin. 

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