Tax season can be stressful and nerve-racking for everyone, including both newly-independent college students filing taxes for the first time and seasoned filers. But CASH — Creating Assets, Savings and Hope — offers resources for first-time filers and veterans alike. A program through Madison House, CASH is an alternative to expensive online software and provides free tax preparation for both students and members of the Charlottesville community who make below $89,000 in yearly income.
The program is made up of student volunteers who are Volunteer Income Tax Assistance certified. This means that they receive official IRS training before tax season to ensure that they are in the best shape to be able to prepare taxes through software called TaxSlayer. With the program’s primary goal being to benefit students and the Charlottesville community, they work to maximize refunds clients receive and minimize what they owe in annual taxes.
Many of the student volunteers, shift coordinators and head program directors are students studying in the McIntire School of Commerce, but the program is trying to increase its reach across different parts of the University. Martha Trujillo, assistant director of finance and operations for Madison House, is especially proud of all the student volunteers last spring. This past cycle, thanks to the over 3,600 hours of work from the volunteers, CASH was able to file 1,224 accepted federal returns.
“It's all about [being] a team,” Trujillo said. “And I think this year was a great team … It's a challenge, and I think the more [volunteers] participate, the better humans [they] are becoming.”
Trujillo is in charge of coordinating the Internal Revenue Service grant each year that helps fund the CASH program. This grant allows for the use of necessary technology and equipment by the program and its volunteers, leading to their free services offered to the community. However, it does not come without its own challenges. There are a lot of reporting requirements that must be fulfilled in order to receive this grant.
“We have goals that we have to meet, and if we don't meet [them], we cannot have as much as we request for the grant. Being here has given [me] the opportunity to work directly with the volunteers, meet the program directors … and [learn] from them.”
Saahas Gowda, former head program director of CASH and Class of 2026 alumnus, began working for CASH his second year at the University. One of his main responsibilities as an HPD was recruiting new volunteers, and he had a goal of cultivating a more diverse group of students.
“We take students across all majors, although typically it tends to be McIntire students who apply,” Gowda said. “But this year, we tried to be as intentional as we could about [placing flyers] in different spots on Grounds.”
Gowda said that a wide array of students from different academic backgrounds help CASH better serve clients. While each volunteer undergoes official training, every possible scenario cannot be covered, so volunteers often use a combination of knowledge from training and their own problem-solving skills to address the specific needs for each individual who comes in for filing.
This point was emphasized by Teddy Cullinane, former CASH volunteer and Class of 2026 alumnus, who dealt with all types of shifts, including those requiring troubleshooting.
“Pretty often, people come in [with] a few W-2s, and it's pretty quick and easy,” Cullinane said. “Then other times, there are some forms that they pass you, and you're like, ‘I've never seen this before.’ And so there's certainly a lot of problem solving, relying on the other people on the shifts, but also kind of your own instincts.”
Akane Ginhoux Ozawa, head program director and third-year College student, had one such memorable experience with a client who had not filed taxes in five years. Ginhoux Ozawa and CASH met with this client six times to help sort through files.
“He came back multiple times, each time bringing more and more files … And it was such a nice moment when I looked through and all of them had gotten accepted,” Ginhoux Ozawa said.
Besides providing a friendly, accessible alternative to tax-filing software, Cullinane emphasized that the program helps to bridge the gap between University students and City residents through in-person interactions.
“You're really getting to connect with these people on a personal level,” Cullinane said. “And it's a very unique and cool experience, and definitely makes me feel like a much closer part of the local community.”
Volunteers said that another rewarding part of preparing and filing taxes in person is being able to see the reactions of clients. By alleviating some of the stress tax season brings upon many, CASH student volunteers can help give a confidence boost to their clients.
“It is really cool to see someone walk in and then get a little boost in some finances, and walk out with an extra pep in their step and smiling from ear to ear. It's really awesome,” Cullinane said.
CASH is currently accepting applications for volunteers for the school year. If interested, students can attend an information session Monday at 6:30 p.m. in Wilson 402. Applications are due Sept. 10.
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