Breea Williams, an Accounting major, worked at the Newburgh Free Library as a Tax-Aide preparer.
For the 11th year in a row, Accounting students and alumni provided free tax preparation for middle- and low-income families through the Tax-Aide program.
Tax-Aide is a tax assistance program offered annually by the AARP Tax-Aide Foundation, the Mid-Hudson CA$H Coalition, and the United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region. This year, new precautions were put in place to protect the community from the threat of COVID-19, including low contact preparation and digital only service.
"Without the help of Mount Saint Mary College and these students, we would not have the vibrant, expanding program that we have," explained Dave Weaving, the Orange County CA$H Coalition coordinator. "Our experienced volunteers are always thrilled to work with students."
Accounting major Breea Williams, who is on the college's 5-year MBA track, prepared returns for area residents at the Newburgh Free Library. Williams and her peers trained for at least 40 hours through work with AARP certified instructors, then passed an IRS certification exam.
"I really enjoy helping people get the best return possible for them," said Williams. "Participating in Tax-Aide really opened my eyes to the outside world. This is giving me the experience I'll need to be better in my field."
In addition to the current students giving their time and talents to the project, several Mount graduates continue to volunteer with Tax-Aide, including Justin Perez '16, Crystal Graham '19, and Elisa Morey '15, who is a Tax-Aide site leader.