"Tax Time"

Meanwhile, the Fisher College of Business had an arsenal of student tax experts willing to work for free.

Bill Raabe, a senior lecturer at Fisher, thought those students and taxpayers should be able to benefit from each other.

So four years ago, he helped the city of Columbus set up a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) center. The students help taxpayers get their Earned Income Credit, a break available to people who make less than $40,000 per year. In return, they get experience filing taxes for clients.

"The VITA program really is a great opportunity to put our education to work while helping people in the community," says Stephanie Brewer, a volunteer who will be working as a tax accountant at a CPA firm after she receives her Master's in accounting. "It gives us exposure to a variety of real-life situations and combinations of problems we may not necessarily have the chance to solve in a classroom."

The clinic started when Raabe, considered a national expert on taxes, connected with an Ohio State grad working for the IRS. The former student helped Raabe set up the program, and “We dove right in" with 40 or 50 students volunteering their time, Raabe says.

“We usually can do a return in less than an hour," he says. "We e-file it on Monday so that they have their refund less than two weeks than when they’re sitting down with us."

The returns can be hefty.

“We did one last year where their refund was roughly one-third of their income during the year," Raabe says.

Recently, Brewer says, a taxpayer was owed more than $6,600.

"The clients generally seem pleased, especially when we are able to tell them they are owed a sizable refund," she says.

The clinic's services are available until March 3. Interested taxpayers should call 211 for appointments.