As tax season begins, students may find themselves overwhelmed by school, work and social obligations.
For many students, filing taxes adds to an already sizable list of things to complete. The April 15 filing deadline often falls in the middle of final projects or exams, and it can be easy for students to feel stressed.
Mark Lengel, an instructor at Salt Lake Community College, teaches a personal finance course which aims to equip students with basic knowledge and tips for their specific filing needs. During this section, he also shows students how to check out IRS.gov to see if they qualify for an education tax credit or deduction.
“About half the students tend to qualify, most often for $1,000 credit,” he said. Personal finance courses are taught at SLCC every semester.
Saydria Christensen, a business major taking Lengel’s class, shared her plans for her eventual tax return.
“I’m doing my own taxes this year and excited to get my money back,” she said. “I plan on saving 50% and using the other 50% for my start-up business.” Christensen is working on launching a cosmetics line, Sage Cosmetics, and said she feels more comfortable doing her taxes after Lengel’s lectures.
Christian Wilson, an engineering major, has been doing his taxes on his own for several years and said the lectures reinforce what he’s been doing correctly.
“I’ve known a lot about what Mr. Lengel is going over with taxes,” Wilson said, noting he makes sure to use a professional service to help out. “I never get stressed as I haven’t owed once.”
Students can file their taxes through April 15 and can find resources for filing on the IRS website. Households with income of $72,000 or less may be eligible for free filing through an IRS partner.
Low-income Utahns may also seek free tax filing assistance through the VITA program or TAX Help Utah.
