FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service today recognized the volunteer efforts of Texas students on behalf of taxpayers. Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management Operations Theodore Carter, presented students in East Dallas and Longview with certificates of appreciation from Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin for their work establishing IRS Volunteer Tax Assistance (VITA) sites.

In Dallas, Police Chief Ben Click joined Carter at the East Dallas Police Storefront to present Explorer Post 3166 with the certificate of appreciation. The group is comprised of 17 high school student Explorers who used their diverse Hispanic, Cambodian, Vietnamese and Anglo backgrounds, language skills, and training from the IRS North Texas District Office to help 135 area residents complete their tax returns.

In Longview, at Longview High School, Principal Brenda Modisette joined Carter to present the certificate of appreciation to 35 students. The students received the VITA training from the IRS North Texas District office and additional training on marketing and advertising through their high school. The students volunteered their spare time over a two-day period and helped a total of 55 classmates file their taxes. Twenty-two percent of those tax returns were filed electronically using the IRS's new telephone filing system (Telefile).

The IRS' Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, involves IRS-trained volunteers who provide free tax assistance at community locations to individuals who need assistance with basic income tax return preparation. VITA is aimed at those for whom paid assistance may be out of reach, those who are non-English speaking, persons with disabilities, those with a low income, the elderly, and other individuals with special needs.