German Cruz Ruiz, CSUN VITA Clinic,
Operation Supervisor
Filling your taxes can be a grueling and daunting task for any taxpayer. For undocumented immigrants without a social security number, the task becomes impossible, as without one, you cannot file your taxes.
Sponsored by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the California State University, Northridge VITA Clinic is serving the local undocumented community by providing free ITIN application preparation.
With the help of an ITIN — Individual Taxpayer Identification Number — those without a social security number can file their tax returns, create payment plans and receive tax refunds from the IRS. Through their ITIN, clients can also claim dependents, which can greatly reduce their overall tax bill as well as put money back into their own pockets.
“A significant portion of the clients that come into our clinic are low-income individuals,” said German Cruz Ruiz, operations supervisor at the CSUN VITA Clinic. “Without our help, many of them would be paying exorbitant fees to start the ITIN process. And that’s money they cannot afford to spend.”
As operations supervisor, Ruiz wears many different hats, but his primary job is to oversee and make sure the tax filing operation at CSUN’s VITA Clinic is running smoothly in an effort to help as many clients as they can. This includes ITIN application review, tax filing review, appointment scheduling and maintaining the overall efficiency of the clinic.
“We’ve had clients come into our clinic who have been working for years, but haven’t been able to file any of their taxes,” said Ruiz. “By providing them free tax services such as tax preparation, assistance with ITIN applications and renewals, we can improve our client’s financial wellbeing.” Ruiz, coming from a first-generation home himself, understands the importance this service provides to the local undocumented community.
“This program has had an almost ‘pay it forward’ effect on me,” said Cruz. “I’ve been able to help so many of my own family and friends with tax help just by taking the initial opportunity to become a tax preparer for VITA three years ago.”
Ruiz is currently studying for his CPA in the hopes of becoming an accountant.