There's Turbo Tax, which is "free," but somehow always winds up costing somnething like $30-$60. Then there's this new option in Detroit — which is actually free and helps students get career-ready.
About 3 dozen King and Southeastern high school students will prepare and file tax returns for members of their communities from Feb. 10 to April 2, according to The Detroit News. All of the students have been certified by the IRS.
The tax prep sessions will run from 5 to 8 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays at King, and Tuesdays and Thursdays at Southeastern.
The tax preparation pilot program is a collaboration of Detroit's school district, Troy-based Flagstar Bank, and the Accounting Aid Society.
It was inspired by a program at Waco Independent School District in Texas that, in its first 15 years, completed 25,302 tax returns comprising almost $44 million in refunds in about 15,000 volunteer hours.
"We're hoping to bring the same kind of results to Detroit," said Beth Correa, director of corporate responsibility for Flagstar.
Wayne Metropolitan Community Action agency also offers free tax prep services for households earning $56,000 or below.
