With the spring semester comes tax season. While it typically isn’t considered the most enjoyable time of the year, it does showcase the motivation of community-minded Missouri Southern alumni, retirees, and friends as they drive the mission of VITA.
VITA, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Service, is a free tax service that helps qualified people with their tax return preparation. Funded through a partnership with Community Partnership of the Ozarks and operated entirely by volunteers—many with ties to MSSU—VITA is an essential asset to the community.
VITA’s presence in Joplin was established in January 1998 when a course on income tax preparation was taught at MSSU. The first VITA site in Joplin opened and invited the class to volunteer as tax preparers. Since then, volunteers with various backgrounds such as MSSU students or veteran tax professionals to retired CPAs have served at VITA, filing an average of 4,000 tax returns annually.
“I fell in love with VITA when I started volunteering in 2000 while attending MSSU,” said David Torres, ‘05, site coordinator of the Joplin VITA site. “This coming year will be my 25th anniversary.”
Robert Medley, ‘73, joined VITA when he retired. He now serves as the director of the We Care Coalition that sponsors the Joplin VITA site, while also volunteering as a tax preparer.
“I was a tax auditor for 30 years,” he said. “After retiring, a girl in my Bible study told me I should go work for VITA, so that’s how I got started.”
Torres and Medley aren’t the only ones with MSSU ties to volunteer with VITA. Since the Joplin location’s establishment in 1998, it has seen 12 alumni including John Joines, Phil O’Hare, Glen Barnett, Gary Miller, Joyce Hendren, Jessica Beck, Delmer Hampton, Shawn Robertson, Jane Sheller, and Jing Wang; eight donors to the Missouri Southern Foundation including Charles Kent, Marilyn Thornberry, Andrea Pence, Chuck Thornberry, Sandy Swingle, Pat Curry, and Donna Krudwig; and three retirees including Dan Stengel, April Bunch and Betty Ann Harris. It is safe to say that MSSU has significant ties to VITA.
“A lot of these people were professional CPAs or from big local accounting firms before retiring,” said Torres. “They found out about VITA and joined us. They are an encyclopedia of tax knowledge.”
VITA volunteers serve those of any age, who generally make less than $65,000, with disabilities, or who speak limited English. However, some people may be unaware they can qualify for VITA’s services, such as the Missouri Tax Credit.
“We still find people who aren’t familiar with the senior citizen circuit breaker,” said Torres. “They receive some of their portion back on their real estate or rent. Tax preparers can review returns up to three years prior through the Missouri Property Tax Credit Claim.”
VITA will also file tax returns for all 50 states, which is ideal for those who live in Missouri and work elsewhere in the four-states area.
“We’re very experienced in filing in both Kansas and Missouri,” said Torres. “We file for other states as well—we want to help everyone.”
However, to continue serving the community, VITA is seeking a permanent, easily accessible location and more volunteers.
“What we need is permanent space,” said Medley. “We’re not a run-in run-out type of shop. We have people sitting in the waiting area, and traffic is hazardous for our elderly clients.”
As for volunteers, anyone is invited to apply, but students are strongly encouraged to join. VITA also offers the IRS-required training that can be completed before tax season.
“It’s a wonderful job,” Torres said. “You work with a lot of people in this position, and there’s great office culture. Adding volunteer experience with VITA to a resume will be appealing to potential employers, especially if you’re applying for a position in a tax department. Anybody can be a tax preparer. You just need to pass the training that we offer through the IRS before starting tax returns, but it can be done.”
The ideal volunteer is someone who would be a people person, someone who is passionate about serving the community.
“The exceptional volunteer would be someone who enjoys working with people, numbers, and computers,” said Torres.
“They would also need patience,” Medley added.
Where to Find Us
During Tax Season:
- Inside the Great Plains Federal Credit Union
- Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- MSSU Campus – Plaster Hall, Room 303
- Saturdays from Feb 1 - April 12: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Interested in Volunteering for VITA?
- David Torres: 417-291-0919
- Robert Medley: 417-529-1586
