FoodChange’s Tax Academy teaches tax preparation skills and related subjects to New Yorkers, enabling them to provide income tax assistance to low-income individuals, and putting them on the road to gainful employment and self-sufficiency.

The Internal Revenue Service has identified the poor quality of tax returns at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites as the major challenge in the area of free tax preparation for low-income workers. Recognizing the need for qualified, well-trained tax preparers, FoodChange created the Tax Academy as a natural complement to its expertise in income tax preparation for low-income people. The Tax Academy educates 90-100 students per year in all aspects of tax preparation, with special attention to the issues of low-income households and individuals.

Classes are taught by skilled tax professionals. The 80 hour training curriculum devotes 60 hours to tax preparation and 20 hours to mathematics, bookkeeping, computer science and other quantitative skills needed to prepare graduates for employment opportunities. As part of their training, students do a mandatory six-week internship at our Food & Finance Center. During the ensuing tax season, graduates are placed at one of FoodChange’s free tax sites where they prepare taxes for low-income individuals under the close supervision of trained professionals. The Tax Academy staff, in partnership with other community-based organizations, provides job placement assistance to our graduates.

The Tax Academy supplements FoodChange’s free, quality tax preparation for low-income New Yorkers. In 2004, FoodChange ran the country’s largest free tax preparation program, completing nearly 25,000 returns and securing a combined $46 million in tax refunds.

For more information, contact P.J. Kim, Director, Income Policy at pjkim@foodchange.org.