|
A program that
paired Calvin College students with low-income families to offer free
tax services proved to be a huge success this past spring.
Over a period of
two months some 23 Calvin consultants, including 18 students, three
alumni and two faculty, worked approximately 200 hours helping people
at or below the poverty level file their returns.
When all was said
and done over 150 federal returns and 140 Michigan returns were filed.
Nearly 100 individuals found out they qualified for Michigan property
tax credits and over 70 qualified for the Michigan home heating credit.
Finally 40 individuals qualified for the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit
(EITC).
The net result:
almost $100,000 in refunds from federal, state and city returns.
Such numbers were
gratifying for all involved, especially student coordinator Craig Haan
(above) of Grand Rapids.
"Calvin has been
doing this program for about 20 years," said Haan, an Accounting major
and graduate of Grand Rapids Christian High School. "It's been a tremendous
success in the past and we were pleased by the success this year. Our
objective was to find as many tax credits as we can. The people are
very nice and are generally very excited when they see they are going
to get a refund."
The Calvin faculty
coordinator for the program was professor Ray Slager.
|