Pandemic won’t stop PPSC Accounting students from helping families prepare taxes

tax help

Press Release | Feb. 3, 2021

This tax season, PPSC is partnering with Tax Help Colorado, a program of The Piton Foundation to offer hard-working families free tax preparation. Now through March 20, IRS-certified PPSC accounting students will prepare and file tax returns free of charge to households with incomes of less than $57,000 a year.

Free tax prep helps ease the burden of commercial tax preparation costs on low-wage earners and helps connect families with valuable tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit, which is worth up to $6,600 for the 2020 tax year. On average, tax preparation in Colorado costs $200. 
 
“We know access to free tax assistance and valuable tax credits are more important than ever this year. We're grateful for our dedicated partners, volunteers, and students who ensure families receive the best service possible,” said Courtney O’Reilly, Director of Tax Help Colorado. Tax preparers receive comprehensive training to ensure the families they serve to get the best refund possible. 
 
“It’s so special to have the opportunity to be part of a program with such a direct positive impact on our community while providing our students with real-world experience,” said Melissa Nelson, PPSC's Accounting program chair. “We’re proud to be saving people money on tax preparation services, and helping them get the best refund possible so they can make ends meet during a challenging time." 

This free service will be offered Saturdays 8 am - 4 pm, Jan 30 - March 20 at PPSC's  Centennial Campus Atrium, 5675 S Academy Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80906.

Schedule an appointment: 719-502-4TAX or taxhelpco@pikespeak.edu
Learn more: pikespeak.edu/tax-help

A list of all the Tax Help Colorado sites, as well as the locations of other free tax assistance sites in Colorado, are available by calling 2-1-1 or visiting GetMyRefundCO.org

Since its inception, Tax Help Colorado, along with the help of over 3,500 volunteers, has completed more than 91,000 returns resulting in $165 million in refunds for Coloradans.
 

About Pikes Peak State College
Established in 1968 and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, PPSC offers associate degrees, certifications in career and technical fields, and three bachelors’ degrees. With three campuses, various off-campus locations, two military education centers, and hundreds of online classes, PPSC provides access to a quality, affordable and flexible education to more than 20,000 students annually with both credit and non-credit classes.


About The Piton Foundation at Gary Community Investments

The Piton Foundation, which is part of Gary Community Investments, is a private, operating foundation established in 1976 by Denver oilman Sam Gary. It is committed to improving the lives of Colorado’s low-income children and their families by increasing access to quality early childhood and youth development opportunities and fostering healthy family and community environments. In addition to investing in creative solutions for Colorado’s low-income children and their families, Piton operates its own programs, including the Shift Research Lab, Tax Help Colorado, and the nation’s largest and longest-running Earned Income Tax Credit public information campaign—Get Ahead Colorado.