Free Income Tax Preparation
Free Tax Preparation Assistance
In partnership with Northern Santa Barbara County United Way, Allan Hancock College offers free tax preparation assistance through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Services are provided by certified IRS volunteers, including students in our Income Tax Preparation courses.
Appointments are held on Saturdays from February through tax day (excluding holidays
and college closures).
Hours: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Schedule an in-person tax preparation appointment.
Prefer to file on your own?
File your taxes online for free with MyFreeTaxes.
Income Tax Preparation Certificate Program
Allan Hancock College Community Education offers tuition-free, noncredit Income Tax Preparation courses designed to prepare students for entry-level positions in the tax preparation field. Students build practical skills in preparing basic federal and state income tax returns while learning current tax laws and procedures.
Students may also prepare for the IRS certification exam and gain hands-on experience by supporting free tax preparation services through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. These courses provide a pathway to credit business accounting programs and further career advancement.
Contact:
Delicia Navarette
805-922-6966 ext. 3492
delicia.navaret@hancockcollege.edu
VOCE 7502 Intro to Tax Preparation
This course introduces basic tax concepts and terminology needed to prepare simple federal/state income tax returns. Students must also enroll in VOCE 7503-Introduction to Income Tax Preparation Software and VOCE 7504-Income Tax Preparation Internship to complete the Income Tax Preparation certificate program.
Course Offered: Spring
VOCE 7503 Intro to Tax Prep Software
This course provides interactive computerized training using the IRS-approved TaxSlayer federal/state income tax preparation software, under the supervision and coordination of a qualified instructor. Students must also enroll in VOCE 7502-Introduction to Income Tax Preparation and VOCE 7504-Income Tax Preparation Internship of the Income Tax Preparation certificate program.
Corequisite: VOCE 7502
Course Offered: Spring
VOCE 7504 Income Tax Prep Internship
This internship provides 40 hours of supervised basic federal/state income tax return preparation hands-on experience utilizing the IRS TaxSlayer software for low-income families. Students must also enroll in, and complete, VOCE 7502-Introduction to Income Tax Preparation and VOCE 7503-Introduction to Income Tax Preparation Software which are the formal training aspects of the Income Tax Preparation certificate program.
IRS Basic Certification: All volunteers in the VITA/TCE Program must take the Standards
of Conduct training and pass the certification test. Volunteer tax return preparers
must be certified to prepare taxes and perform quality reviews of returns. Students
must pass the applicable course test—Basic, Advanced, Military, or International in
order to perform these duties. All volunteers who prepare or review returns must be
certified in Basic, at a minimum. Volunteers can stop at Basic or proceed with other
courses and certification levels. Volunteers can only prepare and quality review tax
returns for the level at which they have been certified.
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/volunteer-training-certification
Prerequisite: VOCE 7502 and VOCE 7503
Course Offered: Spring