Tax season has begun and some students can now be found hurrying into room 332 of the N. Eldon Tanner Building, BYU’s own Volunteer Income Tax Assistance center. The VITA program offers free help with tax returns for those who make $51,000 or less annually and has become a popular program among BYU students and staff.
For BYU student David Page, from Hillsboro, Ore., doing his taxes means he won’t be missing home nearly as much during spring and summer semesters.
“I’ve known what I want to do with my tax return for so long,” Page said. “I miss my dog, but it’s back home with my family and they probably won’t let me bring it here.”
Jennifer Pressley, a supervisor at the George Q. Cannon Building, has other plans for her tax return.
“I have two options,” Pressley said. “The first one is going to China to visit my family, which would be super exciting. But if the money isn’t enough for an airplane ticket, I would like to move to a new apartment.”
Rocio Galicia works at Tax City and said that most students use the money for school purposes.
“From what I’ve noticed, the majority of students that come to Tax City use the tax returns to pay off school,” Galicia said.
The busiest time at Tax City is the beginning of February, or as soon as schools provide students with the forms they need to fill out.
Although paying for school is one of the most common use of tax returns, Jared Newman, a student from Des Moines, Iowa, is unsure of what to do with his.
“I should probably pay for school,” Newman said, “but I could really use the money to buy an engagement ring.”
Whether or not students use tax returns to pay school, many students agreed that taxes bring them relief.
“I’m not saying I’m broke,” Pressley said, “but having a little extra money is never bad news.”
