Members of the UC Berkeley community can get tax help ahead of Tax Day from the ASUC Student Legal Clinic, which operates a volunteer tax preparation service. The program is staffed entirely by undergraduates who are IRS-certified tax preparers.
Tom Wang, a campus sophomore and caseworker at the clinic, says many of the clinic’s clients are students who are considered legal independents, which include international students and students above the age of 24.
“The majority of (our clients) are (UC) Berkeley students, but you also get a lot of people that live in the area that see us,” Wang said. “Our service is advertised (on United Way Bay Area), another tax filing site, and people who see that come to us if they live nearby.” United Way Bay Area operates a free self-file tax software for low-income residents.
In an email, the ASUC Student Legal Clinic said its tax service addresses many misconceptions and questions students have about their taxes. A common question includes what portion of student scholarships are taxable.
Many of the clinic’s preparers are separately certified by the IRS to file for international students. Wang said international students mostly file in more or less the same way as domestic clients.
“It’s just that their filing status is slightly different,” Wang said. “There are a few extra steps. For example, if you’re a citizen of Korea, you have certain tax treaties with the U.S. — you might get a tax deduction based (on) that.”
According to the clinic, 597 clients have been helped so far this tax season. The clinic said it expects an influx of clients as the Wednesday deadline for state and federal taxes approaches.
The Student Legal Clinic’s website states that prospective clients must be either low-income, senior citizens, “limited English-speaking,” disabled or international.
In addition to its tax service, the students who volunteer at the ASUC Legal Clinic conduct legal research for students and the greater Bay Area community.
“We get access to some of Berkeley Law’s resources,” Wang said. “Say (someone) has tenancy issues with their landlord or anything along those lines. They come in to ask us to do research on their behalf, so we compile research for them. All we do is show them their available options. … We also refer them to more professional resources.”
Wang said the clinic is mostly staffed by pre-law students. The clinic has been operating for more than 40 years and hosts guest speakers including UC Berkeley School of Law admissions officers and local attorneys.