Lewis & Clark Tax Law Volunteers Gear Up for 15th Year

It’s tax time across America, and that means it’s time for the 15th annual Lewis & Clark Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. As always, noting that “charity begins at home,” the program devotes its efforts to helping international students comply with their sometimes-onerous tax filing obligations in the United States. To participate, law student volunteers must undergo training on foreign student tax problems; do a few hours of additional reading and thinking on their own; and be available on one or more afternoons, when international students from the undergraduate campus come to the law school for tax form preparation assistance.

The training gives volunteers the skills they need to participate, and all work is done in two-person teams. Each international student “client” meets with a law faculty supervisor and one or two law student volunteers, and together they prepare the client’s federal and state tax returns and related forms.

In addition to helping their fellow students, volunteers are guaranteed to learn some things about U.S. international taxation. More information is available on the VITA web page, here.