Fairview partners with IRS to provide free tax prep to residents

Fairview High School is the first high school in Pennsylvania to partner with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to offer a student-run Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site. The program was the culminating project of the Fairview High School Business Academy, which is an honors program for students that are planning to pursue a career in business. The Academy provides students with authentic learning experiences and connects students with local business professionals that act as mentors. Students in grades 10-12 spent the fall semester preparing and studying for the IRS VITA certification exam so they could file tax returns for residents. Students completed face-to-face tax returns with residents throughout tax season, gaining valuable experience with tax law, customer service, workplace skills and using professional tax software. In addition to filing tax returns, students assisted the IRS with various outreach programs to raise awareness for the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, American Opportunity Credit and Educators Expenses Deduction. Students helped return over $31,000 in federal returns to the community. Students even got a shoutout from IRS Commissioner Rettig during the end-of-year partner recognition ceremony.