The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is a student organization providing free professional tax preparation to low-income individuals and families throughout the San Fernando Valley.  The program also provides specialized services for senior citizens, non-English speakers, and the disabled.

Due to the large number of individuals desiring assistance, the program has set a $50,000 maximum gross income limitation per income tax return for those seeking help.  Married couples filing joint returns must have both spouses present when tax returns are being prepared.  Our VITA program is designed to assist taxpayers with basic problems on their 2007 income tax returns. 

The scope of the program includes the following:

• Preparation of Federal forms 1040A (including Schedules 1, 2, & 3) 
• Form 1040 (includes Schedules A, B, C-EZ, and SE only) 
• EIC (Earned Income Credit) 
• Schedule R (Credit for Elderly) 
• Form 2441 (Credit for Child and Dependent Care Expenses) 
• Child Tax Credit 
• Form 8812 (Additional Child Tax Credit) 
• Form 8863 (Hope Scholarship Credit and Lifetime Learning Credit)
• Form 8917 (Tuition and Fees Deduction)
• Form 8919 (Uncollected Social Security and Medicare Taxes on Wages) 
• Itemized deductions (interest, taxes, check or cash charitable contributions, and union dues under miscellaneous deductions only.) 
• Pensions that are on a 1099R only showing taxable amount on line 2a 
• CSUN-VITA also prepares State of California Forms 540A, 540 and California Renters Credit.  
• Educator Expenses 
• Form 1099-DIV, Box 1a (ordinary dividends) only
• Taxpayers and dependents without Social Security numbers OR SSN that begin with 900
• Taxpayers and dependents with an ITIN with proof of identity
• Miscellaneous Income (1099 MISC box 7 income only)
• Business income when the expense are less than $5000 (Sole-Proprietorships only)

We DO NOT prepare: 

• Estimated taxes for the following year  
• Casualty losses  
• Miscellaneous income (except  1099 MISC Box 7)
• Business income (Except Sole-Proprietorships with expenses less than $5000)
• Itemized deductions (medical/dental, casualty theft and fire damage, non-cash or non-check charitable contributions, and miscellaneous deductions other than union dues)  
• Self employment  
• Penalties assessed for underpayment of income tax from prior years  
• Underpayment penalties for this year  
• Capital gain or loss or capital gain distributions  
• Married filing separate returns  
• Credit for joint custody head of household  
• Credit for dependent parent  
• Credit for senior head of household  
• Credit for child adoption costs  
• Form W-5 (Advance EIC), nor W-4, nor W-7  
• Income tax returns for prior years  
• 1099 Misc (Work Study Compensation)  
• Form 1099-R with premature distribution (Distribution code 1 in Box 7)  
• IRA deductions if part is taxable and part tax-free      
• California teachers retention credit  
• California Lottery Winnings/gambling
• Schedules C, D, E, or F   
• Allocated tips  
• Qualified Dividends (1099-DIV, Box 1B)
• Domestic Partnerships