In a quiet computer lab in the basement of Michigan Tech’s Academic Office Building, an important learning opportunity is taking place that has immediate, real-world consequences. College of Business students stationed at their laptops are huddled with community members, cheerfully and efficiently tackling the complexities of tax filing. There’s a low hum of conversation as they work through W-2s and 1099s, using official Internal Revenue Service (IRS) software.
This is the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, a long-standing federal initiative that takes place in communities across the country. The College of Business reinvigorated the program in the Keweenaw this year.
Tax season is notoriously stressful. But with the help of faculty and students in the VITA program, area resident Tina Barker was feeling nothing but relief.
“Now I can relax,” said Barker, who heard about the program through Baraga-Houghton-Keweenaw Community Action Agency. “I think this is great.”
Official quality reviewer Rhonda Pearson agrees. The 20-year IRS veteran has been volunteering with VITA for 21 years. “I love doing taxes,” she said. “The only thing I didn’t enjoy about my job was being cussed out when people didn’t get back what they thought they should.”
When she retired, Pearson intentionally chose to contribute her time to a program that prepares tax returns for free. As a reviewer, she ensures the process is going smoothly. “I help them when they need it,” she said, watching the students work with Barker.
Need Future Tax Assistance?
The Michigan Tech College of Business plans to sustain a VITA site for years to come. While the appointment window has closed for 2026, here are a few tips to keep in mind when preparing for next tax season:
- When: Watch for information to go out to various community agencies in late January or February. If you qualify, you’ll be given an opportunity to make an appointment at a set time. There are no walk-in appointments.
- How to Start: To see if your tax situation falls within the scope of the free program and to schedule an appointment, you can contact Ehsan Heshmatzadeh at eheshmat@mtu.edu.
- Where: Find the VITA site in Michigan Tech’s Academic Office Building, home to the College of Business.
- What you need: Bring all relevant forms (W-2s, 1099s, 1098-T), tax statements, and a copy of last year’s tax return.
VITA was created to assist people with certain physical, social, or economic challenges. For example, tax filing can be an intimidating hurdle for older adults on a moderate-to-low fixed income. The Huskies staffing the lab are happy to help and grateful for an opportunity to put theory into practice by answering a real need.
“VITA aligns perfectly with the College of Business mission,” said Ehsan Heshmatzadeh, an assistant teaching professor of accounting and the VITA program’s site coordinator. “It connects academic learning with meaningful community engagement and measurable economic impact. Reintroducing this program allows our students to contribute to the local community while gaining hands-on experience they can’t get from a textbook.”
Heshmatzadeh said that in the first year of the strategic relaunch and expansion, more than 30 taxpayers have been served, resulting in more than $15,000 in federal refunds and $4,800 in state refunds.
The benefits for the 10 student volunteers are twofold. While they master the technical aspects of state and federal returns, they’re also developing other skills that are vital in the professional world: communication, professional judgment, and the empathy required to work with real clients.
Rigorous Standards, Real Results
The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and there’s additional comfort in knowing that strict professional standards govern the program. Before any student can sit down with a taxpayer, they must pass a series of rigorous IRS certification exams and agree to adhere to strict quality control standards. The tests cover everything from filing requirements and common tax credits to the ethical responsibilities of tax preparation.
Claudious Mufandaidza, working toward his master’s degree in accounting and analytics, said he joined the VITA program for the “exposure and experience.” His favorite part of the program has been interacting with taxpayers.
To ensure accuracy, the VITA program uses a quality review process: every single return prepared by a student is double-checked by another certified volunteer, like Pearson or Heshmatzadeh, before it’s submitted.
A $14,500 competitive grant from the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM) helped launch the revitalized program at the College this year, providing the necessary infrastructure including laptops, printers, and secure scanning equipment to ensure that data is handled with the highest level of security. A recent field visit to review the program found that Michigan Tech’s VITA location meets all 10 of the program’s quality site requirements, rating it as exceptional.
Meeting Neighbors Where They Are
Heshmatzadeh said the team recognized early on that a digital-only approach wouldn’t work for every client. To keep the service accessible to neighbors who may not be comfortable with online tools, they offered a dual screening process. While tech-savvy users can scan a QR code to start their intake, others can call directly to be walked through the process by a human voice.
“Tax literacy is an important life skill, yet many find the system confusing or even frightening,” Heshmatzadeh said. “We want to bridge that gap.”
Josh Heikkinen, a senior undergraduate working toward his degree in finance, already has a job preparing tax returns for a local company. He volunteered in the spirit of community. “I joined to engage more with students and clients one-on-one, rather than being in an office by myself on a computer,” he said.
As the April 15 deadline approached, the lab remained a hub of activity, with appointment slots fully booked. For Business Huskies, it’s a peek into their future careers. For the community, the VITA outreach represents a helping hand from the next generation of professionals.
About the College of Business
The Michigan Tech College of Business prepares tomorrow’s business professionals through STEM-infused, AACSB-accredited degree programs and minors. The college offers nine bachelor of science programs in accounting, business analytics, construction management, economics, engineering management, finance, management, management information systems, and marketing; and four master of science programs in accounting and analytics, applied natural resource economics, engineering management, and the TechMBA®.
Questions? Contact us at business@mtu.edu. Follow the College of Business on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.