During the 2022 tax season, 65 IRS-certified accounting students from the School of Management brought nearly $300,000 back into the Buffalo Niagara region through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. 

Students from the UB Accounting Association and UB’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, the international honors organization for accounting and finance students and professionals, led the initiative that provided nearly 1,400 hours of tax service, preparing tax returns for individuals and families with annual incomes below $58,000.

“We’re especially pleased that nearly $40,000 of the total was a result of the Earned Income Credit, which targets low-income families in need of additional financial support,” said Adam Wyckoff, a student in the School of Management and president of the UB Accounting Association. “It means that we helped a number of families who needed it most.”

“Bringing this vital service back to the community after the pandemic took a great deal of effort for our students,” said Paul Tesluk, dean of the UB School of Management. “Despite their class loads and other responsibilities, they rose to challenge and made a positive impact on their community.” 

Cumulatively, School of Management student volunteers have brought nearly $13 million in tax refunds back into the Buffalo community since 2008 by preparing more than more than 9,700 tax returns. Approximately $2.6 million was from the Earned Income Credit.