ATHENS, GA -�Georgia United Credit Union is partnering again this year with the Internal Revenue Service and the College of Family and Consumer Sciences of the University of Georgia to provide the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for the Athens community.� The IRS trains UGA students as tax preparers and Georgia United Credit Union provides the office space and funding and local consumers benefit by having their taxes prepared and filed electronically at no charge.
The VITA program extends free tax return assistance to individuals and families with low to moderate income (who do not have depreciable property, business losses, or extensive stock transactions.) This years VITA site will be located at Georgia United Credit Unions 190 Gaines School Road branch.�� Sessions will be available on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings, beginning January 27 through April 9, and on Saturdays, January 31 through April 11.
For a complete list of available dates and times or to make an appointment, please visit https://www.georgiaunitedcu.org/membership/vita-tax-prep.� For those without internet access, phone reservations may also be made at 706-227-5400, ext. 6486.
UGA students majoring in Financial Planning (College of Family and Consumer Sciences) and Accounting (Terry College of Business) enroll in this service-learning course and participate in the VITA program earn academic credit for their effort.� Dr. Lance Palmer, Associate Professor in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, helped develop this program for UGA as a service learning course with now retired Department Head Dr. Anne Sweaney, after they were contacted by UGA retiree Tom Cochran who was affiliated with Georgia United Credit Union. From there, the VITA partnership was launched and has grown every year.
This is the ninth year of this partnership and Georgia United Board Member and VITA Volunteer Tom Cochran of Athens shared the following statistics from last years program, "In 2014, we assisted 796 individuals and were able to successfully submit 741 returns electronically resulting in federal refunds totaling $1,005,925 and state refunds totaling $189,373. Our total numbers were down from the previous year, due to closures related to the inclement weather experienced early in the filing season.� Unfortunately, we had to cancel five tax assistance sessions representing in excess of 100 appointments due to ice and snow last January."
About Georgia United Credit Union
Georgia United Credit Union is ranked as one of the top credit unions in Georgia in both size and safety at $990 million in assets, 128,000 members and 16 branches including two in Athens.� Georgia United seeks to make members�lives easier by offering products, services and education to help members meet their needs and achieve their goals.
Georgia United serves the faculty, staff, students and alumni of the University of Georgia, residents of Clarke County, and employees and family members of over 500 select employee companies and school systems including Clarke County Schools.� Additional information may be found at
www.georgiaunitedcu.org.
ATHENS, GA -�Georgia United Credit Union is partnering again this year with the Internal Revenue Service and the College of Family and Consumer Sciences of the University of Georgia to provide the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for the Athens community.� The IRS trains UGA students as tax preparers and Georgia United Credit Union provides the office space and funding and local consumers benefit by having their taxes prepared and filed electronically at no charge.
The VITA program extends free tax return assistance to individuals and families with low to moderate income (who do not have depreciable property, business losses, or extensive stock transactions.) This years VITA site will be located at Georgia United Credit Unions 190 Gaines School Road branch.�� Sessions will be available on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings, beginning January 27 through April 9, and on Saturdays, January 31 through April 11. For a complete list of available dates and times or to make an appointment, please visit https://www.georgiaunitedcu.org/membership/vita-tax-prep.� For those without internet access, phone reservations may also be made at 706-227-5400, ext. 6486.
UGA students majoring in Financial Planning (College of Family and Consumer Sciences) and Accounting (Terry College of Business) enroll in this service-learning course and participate in the VITA program earn academic credit for their effort.� Dr. Lance Palmer, Associate Professor in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, helped develop this program for UGA as a service learning course with now retired Department Head Dr. Anne Sweaney, after they were contacted by UGA retiree Tom Cochran who was affiliated with Georgia United Credit Union. From there, the VITA partnership was launched and has grown every year.
This is the ninth year of this partnership and Georgia United Board Member and VITA Volunteer Tom Cochran of Athens shared the following statistics from last years program, "In 2014, we assisted 796 individuals and were able to successfully submit 741 returns electronically resulting in federal refunds totaling $1,005,925 and state refunds totaling $189,373. Our total numbers were down from the previous year, due to closures related to the inclement weather experienced early in the filing season.� Unfortunately, we had to cancel five tax assistance sessions representing in excess of 100 appointments due to ice and snow last January."
About Georgia United Credit Union
Georgia United Credit Union is ranked as one of the top credit unions in Georgia in both size and safety at $990 million in assets, 128,000 members and 16 branches including two in Athens.� Georgia United seeks to make members�lives easier by offering products, services and education to help members meet their needs and achieve their goals.
Georgia United serves the faculty, staff, students and alumni of the University of Georgia, residents of Clarke County, and employees and family members of over 500 select employee companies and school systems including Clarke County Schools.� Additional information may be found at www.georgiaunitedcu.org.