Alternative Solutions Prioritizing
People Over Profits

Protecting Vulnerable People in Our Community

Predatory for-profit tax-prep organizations are often concentrated in areas with a large percentage of lower income
people who qualify for significant refunds through the Earned Income Tax Credit program. They prey on the people
who need the money from the EITC the most.

To increase their profit, they put a great deal of effort into publicizing their services in a way that overshadows the far
less expensive, sometimes even free, methods of filing tax returns. Paul Weinstein, who co-authored a study on tax
preparers with the Brookings Institution and the Progressive Policy Institute, suggests that most taxpayers could
“have their taxes prepared for less than $100.” According to Weinstein, tax-filers spend an average of $275 on the
preparation of their taxes during the filing season.

This doesn’t even include the “Refund Anticipation Loans” (RALs) or “Refund Anticipation Checks” (RACs) with
exorbitant interest rates or fees they all too often convince low-income people to sign up for.

This is why we partner with University of Illinois Gies College of Business.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)

We partner with the UIUC Gies School of Business to offer free tax assistance to:

Low-to-moderate-income (gross income less than $64,000 for 2023)

Elderly (over age 60)

Limited English-speaking taxpayers

People with disabilities

This vital resource aligns with our mission and vision by protecting vulnerable people in our community from predatory for-profit tax-prep organizations and creating opportunities for financial education. To learn more about this seasonal program, sign up for our newsletter.

How It Works

Visit Us!

Bring your tax documents to Salt & Light during VITA drop-off hours.
During this visit, a trained volunteer will conduct a brief interview, verify
your identity as required by the VITA program, and scan relevant tax
documents to a secure Box folder.

Rest Easy!

Following your visit, students from the Gies School of Business Department
of Accountancy, trained through the IRS VITA program and supported by Gies
faculty, will prepare your tax return in their virtual classroom. You will receive a
telephone call from the preparation team if they have additional questions about your information.

Good to Go!

Once your return is completed, you will be directed to return to Salt & Light to
review it, pick up a printed copy, and sign documents authorizing the team to file
your returns electronically.

Questions? Call 217-300-4784 or email vita@business.illinois.edu.

FAQs

Where do I go?

Salt & Light, 1819 Philo Road, Urbana

What do I need to bring?

Proof of identification (photo ID)
Social Security cards for you, your spouse and dependents
An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) assignment letter may be substituted for you, your spouse and your dependents if you do not have a Social Security number
Proof of foreign status, if applying for an ITIN
Birth dates for you, your spouse and dependents on the tax return
Wage and earning statements (Form W-2, W-2G, 1099-R, 1099-Misc) from all employers
Interest and dividend statements from banks (Forms 1099)
Health Insurance Exemption Certificate, if received
A copy of last year’s federal and state returns, if available
Proof of bank account routing and account numbers for direct deposit such as a blank check
To file taxes on a married-filing-joint tax return, both spouses must be present
Total paid for daycare provider and the daycare provider’s tax identifying number such as their Social Security number or business Employer Identification Number
Forms 1095-A, B and C, Health Coverage Statements

When can I bring in my documents?

Beginning February 1st,
Tuesdays: 3 – 7pm
Wednesday – Friday: 1 – 5pm
Saturday: 11am – 5pm
There are no tax services on Sundays or Mondays. No appointment is needed, and taxpayers will
be served on a first-come first-served basis until we are full.

What happens after my intake interview?

You will receive instructions on next steps during your initial visit to Salt & Light. When your tax return has
been received by a preparation team, they may contact you via telephone, with additional questions. If the
preparation team does not reach you with their call, they will leave a message to return the call at your
convenience. It is important to return the call to the telephone number provided during the message – NOT
to the number that shows in your caller ID. The number you will be asked to call is (217) 300-4784. If they
do not have questions during the preparation process, you will receive a telephone call when your return is
complete. On this call, the team will give you a scheduled time to return to Salt & Light to review and
submit your return.

At Salt & Light, you will be required to sign forms authorizing us to submit your return electronically to the
taxing authorities. If you choose not to file your return electronically or if your return is not able to be filed
electronically, you will receive printed tax forms to mail to the taxing authorities along with your printed
copy of the return. Please note, your tax return will not be filed until you either sign forms, at Salt & Light,
authorizing us to submit your return electronically or until you mail the forms to the taxing authorities if you
are not filing electronically.

How long will it take to get my return completed?

Tax returns will be prepared on a first-come, first-served basis. Volunteers will be able to give you an
estimated completion time when you bring in your materials. This will be an estimate only, and actual time
to completion of the tax return could vary based on many factors.

Can you prepare my Form 1040-NR?

We are no longer preparing Form 1040-NR through the full-service VITA site. We can help you determine if
you need to file Form 1040-NR or Form 1040, and we can prepare Form 1040 if it is determined that this is
appropriate for you. Due to time and staffing constraints, we have made the decision to offer Form 1040-
NR through our self-service site only. You may access our self-service VITA site during the sessions to be
offered during March and we can help you prepare your own Form 1040-NR. You will also be eligible to
use TaxSlayer software to prepare your Form 1040-NR if you utilize this service. This will allow us to serve
more taxpayers with fewer volunteers and reduce the need to turn taxpayers away as has been necessary
in the past.

Is my information secure?

We have developed a secure transmission and temporary storage system for all taxpayer-related
documents. Your original documents will be returned to you after they are scanned. You will not leave any
original documents with Salt & Light. Once your tax return has been prepared and submitted to the taxing
authorities, all digital copies of the documents will be permanently deleted from our system.

Who will be preparing my tax return?

Students from Gies College of Business’ highly ranked accounting program will work with you to prepare
your tax return. Our graduate accounting students, who are especially interested in tax, will be overseeing
the program. They have tax-related work/intern experience and/or have demonstrated excellent technical
knowledge of tax. They have also been highly recommended by their instructors and have demonstrated
exceptional leadership abilities. Guiding the program this year is Mandi Alt, an instructor of accounting who
brings 20 years of tax experience to the College.

Alternative Solutions PrioritizingPeople Over Profits