Volunteer Income
Tax Assistance
At University of California, Los Angeles
VITA at UCLA strives to provide free tax preparation services to the Los Angeles community. VITA services are not only free, but they are also a reliable and trusted source for preparing tax returns. All VITA volunteers must take and pass tax law training that meets or exceeds IRS standards. This training includes maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of all taxpayer information. In addition to requiring volunteers to certify their knowledge of the tax laws through exams, the IRS requires a quality review check for every return prepared at a VITA site prior to filing.
Important 2024 Tax Site Updates
2024 Tax Site Appointments are currently OPEN for 2023 Tax Returns!
Our appointments are available for 2023 tax return preparation. Please sign-up for an appointment through our Acuity Scheduling platform by clicking the “Schedule Appointment” button below.
On-campus tax sites take place from January 23rd to March 7th and from April 2nd to April 11th, from 11AM – 4PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in the Ackerman Union Viewpoint Conference Room A201A (308 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90024). Walk-ins are limited and not guaranteed.
UPDATE (4/2/2024): Due to overflowing client capacity, we DO NOT take walk-ins after 1PM.
Please see below for our weekend off-campus library tax site dates/times/locations.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING UPDATES:
- Clients may not reschedule their appointments less than 12 hours from their appointed time. If you must cancel, please email vita@g.ucla.edu to let us know.
- Clients that book multiple appointments with no-shows will no longer be allowed to file with us. This is to ensure everyone gets an opportunity to make an appointment.
- Students, please make sure you have ALL of your documents. UCLA may release some later so do not book an appointment early on if you don’t have all of your required filing documents.
Weekend Off-Campus Library Tax Sites:
- Sat. 2/3/2024, 10AM – 2PM – Venice Branch Library
- Sun. 2/4/2024, 1PM – 4PM – West Los Angeles Regional Branch Library
- Sat. 2/10/2024, 10AM – 2PM – Baldwin Hills Branch Library
- Sun. 2/11/2024, 1PM – 4PM – Robertson Branch Library
- Sat. 2/17/2024, 10AM – 2PM – Westwood Branch Library
- Sat. 2/24/2024, 10AM – 2PM – Palms – Rancho Park Branch Library
- Sat. 3/2/2024, 11AM – 3PM – Hyde Park Branch Library
- Sat. 4/6/2024, 11AM – 3PM – Mar Vista Branch Library
- Sun. 4/7/2024, 1PM – 4PM – Exposition Park Regional Branch Library
Our appointments are FULLY BOOKED for 2022 tax return preparation. Due to capacity constraints, we are not taking walk-ins (without appointments).
Thank you to everyone who filed their returns with us for the 2023 season! Currently, we are working on a new scheduling system and implementing additional policies to ensure we are able to serve as many community members as possible! Due to this, we expect our appointment scheduling to be available sometime in mid-December.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at vita@g.ucla.edu.
Our Mission
VITA at UCLA is the premier student-led tax organization at UCLA.
Founded with the belief that tax assistance should be accessible to all backgrounds, VITA is dedicated to providing free tax return filing to low-income communities in Los Angeles.
A Glance at our Tax Season
January 2023 - April 2023
In Federal Refunds
Volunteer Hours
Tax Returns Filed
Tax Updates and Resources
Check back for the latest tax resources and updates that might affect you!
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
January 26th, 2024, is EITC Awareness Day!
One-third of workers eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit are new to the credit each year. #FriendlyReminder: You can help #IRS spread the word on #EITC Awareness Day to make sure no one misses this benefit: https://ow.ly/FJRr50QulVt
IRS Free File
If you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, you can claim it for free with #IRS Free File. Keep more #EITC in your pocket: www.irs.gov/freefile
Direct Deposit
Eight out of 10 taxpayers get their refunds by using #IRS direct deposit. Why? Here’s a #FriendlyReminder that electronic filing combined with direct deposit is the fastest way to get your federal tax refund. www.irs.gov/directdeposit
How to Extend Your Return for Free
If you do not think you can file by the tax deadline, you may file for an extension at one of the links provided by the IRS, found below.
Other Tax Preparation Services
If you choose not to file with VITA at UCLA, there are more free tax filing services!
Returning Erroneous Refunds
If you received a refund for a larger amount than you are entitled to, then you must reconcile the difference.
California Health Insurance Mandate
Starting January 1, 2020, all California residents must EITHER:
- Have qualifying health insurance coverage for all members of their household
- Obtain an exemption from the requirement to have coverage
- Pay a penalty of at least $850 per adult and $425 per dependent child under 18 in the household when you file your 2022 state income tax return in 2023.
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Recovery Rebate Credit
If you did not receive your stimulus check, you are eligible for the refundable Recovery Rebate Credit, which can reduce your tax liability or increase your refunds by the amount of the stimulus. Generally, you are eligible to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit if you were a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien in 2020, cannot be claimed as a dependent of another taxpayer for tax year 2020, and have a Social Security number valid for employment that is issued before the due date of your 2020 tax return (including extensions).
3rd Economic Impact Payments (EIP)
Many people who don't normally file a tax return and don't receive federal benefits may qualify for stimulus payments but may not realize it.
Individuals may be eligible to receive Economic Impact Payments (EIPs), also known as stimulus payments, but may not realize it. A December 2020 law changed eligibility requirements for EIPs. Now, some people who don’t meet the Social Security Number requirements can get the third EIP for each qualifying dependent if those dependents have SSNs.
Click the button to below to learn more about the third EIP!
Join Us & Get Involved!
Fall 2023 applications are now closed! However, we will be recruiting in Winter 2024, so keep an eye out for our next recruitment cycle if you are interested in volunteering with VITA.
Please note that we are only able to recruit from the UCLA student body, either undergraduate and graduate students. Unfortunately, we are currently unable to accept UCLA Extension students due to UCLA policy.
If you have any questions, feel free to email vitauclavolunteer@gmail.com.
Fall 2023 applications will open on Monday, September 25th, 2023 12:00 AM (Week 0)!
They will be due Friday, October 6th, at 11:59 PM PT. Please apply if you are interested in volunteering with VITA at UCLA.
Join us for our info session (tentatively on Tuesday, October 3rd (Week 1), at 7:00 PM PT in Boelter Hall Room 3400) to learn more.
Fall cohort training sessions begin in Week 2. There will be two in-person training session dates/options to choose from: Wednesdays from 6:00PM – 7:00PM and Sundays from 6:00PM – 7:50PM.
If you are a returning volunteer and would like to join us for the 2023-2024 academic year and 2024 tax season, please complete the below returners’ interest form by October 15th.
Please note that we are only able to recruit from the UCLA student body. Unfortunately, we are currently unable to accept UCLA Extension students due to UCLA policy.
Winter 2024 applications will open on Tuesday, December 19, 2023 8:00 AM.
They will be due Friday, January 12th, at 11:59 PM PT. Please apply if you are interested in volunteering with VITA at UCLA.
Please note that we are only able to recruit from the UCLA student body. Unfortunately, we are currently unable to accept UCLA Extension students due to UCLA policy.
Winter cohort training sessions begin in Week 2. Mandatory in-person training sessions will take place on Wednesdays from 6:00PM – 8:00PM in Boelter 5249 during Winter Quarter Weeks 2-6.
If you have any questions, feel free to email vitauclavolunteer@gmail.com.
We look forward to reviewing your application!
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