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Dan Williams, a retired Entergy employee, assists a taxpayer as part of the VITA program. -
A banner like this, held by Jon Korejwa, marks the location for tax training and assistance. -
Jon Korejwa
Jon Korejwa, a certified tax professional and program director, is inviting volunteers to learn a new skill or hone their income tax tallying knowledge while helping local people with their taxes in 2022. According to him, his team is currently accepting applications for volunteers, who will have the opportunity to earn IRS certification as tax preparers, which could lead them to future employment opportunities.
“I’ve had volunteers who were able to start their own tax preparation business after participating in the program,” said Korejwa, Director of Training and Operations for Lamar University’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, who started as a volunteer himself more than a decade ago.
The VITA program is the result of a collaboration between Lamar University (LU), the IRS, Entergy Texas and Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas. The organizations’ joint effort provides free tax-filing services for taxpayers earning less than $57,000 annually who are not able to afford commercial tax preparation fees, and the group needs volunteers to assist them in their mission to help those who need it during tax time. They are recruiting volunteer tax preparers, client facilitators, people who can provide technical and management assistance and interpreters.
Training will be provided at the Gloria Ramirez Neighborhood Resource Center at 2850 Gulf St., the old fairgrounds, in Beaumont starting on Jan. 29 at 9 a.m. Volunteer tax preparers will earn an IRS certification in tax preparation, a valuable tool for those interested in turning their training into a career. Korejwa, an enrolled agent (EA) who initially earned his certification through the volunteer program, currently works for Asset Growth Associates Tax & Retirement Advisors (AGA), a full-service tax, accounting, financial and business consulting firm.
The VITA program has been operating in Beaumont since 2008. In 2021, more than 700 tax returns were prepared for members of the Southeast Texas community.
To register as a volunteer, visit www.irs.gov/individuals/irs-tax-volunteers and follow the VITA/TCE Volunteer and Partner Sign Up link, or call Norman Bellard at Lamar University to register or for volunteer information at (409) 880-7721. Local residents can also call 2-1-1 in the city of Beaumont for site information.