District News

WACO, Texas (Jan. 27, 2025) — University High School in Waco ISD will kick off its annual free volunteer tax assistance program on Tuesday, Jan. 28, in partnership with the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program. 

“When you consider all of the fees that people have saved because we do this totally for free, we have saved them a lot of money,” said site coordinator and economics teacher, Andrew Pierce. “There are people who have come many, many years in a row to have our students prepare their returns.”

University High students have prepared citizen Wesley McDaniels’ tax returns for more than a decade. 

“I’ve been coming here for about ten years in all and I have had no problems with it,” McDaniels said. “I have been happy and satisfied.”

The program has helped Waco residents secure more than $45 million in tax refunds over the years, bolstering the local economy and community businesses, Pierce said. Most refunds, when filed with direct deposit, are processed and returned within approximately one week.

“Our program not only provides essential services to the community, but it also equips students with real-world skills in customer service, accounting, and technology,” Pierce said. “This service is offered at no charge to help individuals avoid high-cost tax preparation fees or refund loans.”

High school students will work alongside Baylor University’s Accounting Department to prepare tax returns for low- to moderate-income taxpayers. To ensure accuracy and quality, all tax returns are reviewed by experienced preparers, who double-check the students’ work. 

“We practice doing returns and then there’s a test we have to take to get our certification to be able to help people with their tax returns,” UHS student Joshua Vaquero said. “It makes me feel good to help out others.”

Taxpayers are required to bring:

• A valid photo ID (driver’s license, state ID card, or Matrícula Consular)
• Social Security card or ITIN documentation
• All relevant tax documents

Details:

• Start Date: Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 - Thursday, April 10, 2025
• Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:30 p.m.– 6:30 p.m.
• Location: University High School

 

“What this does for the students is provide a lot of customer interaction and the development of soft skills such as how you interact with an angry customer, active listening skills, how to do research…they learn skills they can use in many industries. And, they are learning tax returns which is a skill they will use their whole lives,” Pierce said.