Dean Chandra Subramaniam, Ph.D.
I am proud of the unwavering dedication the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics’ CSUN Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Clinic has shown to our community and its low-income taxpayers during these unprecedented times.
The challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic tested us in ways we never imagined. The CSUN VITA Clinic was forced to shut its doors on providing face-to-face tax preparation services, but they did not relent and quickly transitioned to an IRS-approved virtual model to accommodate the many low-income taxpayers that needed their assistance. The VITA Clinic returned with full force this year with the CSUN Virtual VITA program, which allowed student volunteers to provide low-income taxpayers with access to their services seven days per week throughout the entire tax season.
This year, 221 students volunteered to serve nearly 6,000 low-income taxpayers in Los Angeles County. More impressively, the clinic helped taxpayers claim $6.7 million in tax refunds and $2.6 million in earned income tax credits, and saved taxpayers almost $1.2 million in tax preparation fees.
Furthermore, with supplemental funding from the IRS, the CSUN VITA Clinic was able to lead the CSU5 Initiative for a third year. While at a reduced capacity due to COVID-19, the collaboration with three of our sister campuses: CSU Los Angeles, CSU Long Beach and CSU Cal Poly Pomona, led to the service of over 2,100 taxpayers.
In addition to this support, I am also grateful to our donors and supporters whose gifts are vital to the success of the CSUN VITA Clinic. Through contributions from our generous donors, Harvey and Harriet Bookstein and gifts from Bank of Hope, City National Bank and Wells Fargo Bank, the CSUN VITA Clinic has been able to continue to expand and provide greater education and assistance to its volunteers and taxpaying clients.
Finally, I want to congratulate Dr. Rafi Efrat and the entire VITA team! Your commitment to the service of our community is truly inspiring and I look forward to supporting and witnessing the continued growth and expansion of this crucial initiative.