Free Help With Tax Returns Offered at MATC's Oak Creek Campus

Taxpayers with a family income of $51,000 or less are eligible for free help preparing their basic personal income tax returns at Milwaukee Area Technical College’s Oak Creek Campus, 6665 S. Howell Ave. MATC accounting students provide the service in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue and Internal Revenue Service Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs.

All returns are e-filed to ensure speed and accuracy. Now in its 31st year at the Oak Creek Campus, the program heightens awareness of Wisconsin’s Homestead Credit and the Earned Income Credit, an often overlooked federal tax break for low-income working people who are raising children in their homes.

Oak Creek Campus dates and hours:

Tax help will be offered through April 13, on Wednesdays from 4-7 p.m.; and on Saturdays, from 9 a.m.–noon. Go to the atrium on the lower level of the A Building, next to the cafeteria.

Attendees should bring the following:

-- wage and earnings statements (W-2 forms)

-- bank interest statements (1099 forms)

-- a copy of last year’s income tax return

-- photo identification

-- receipts for property taxes paid

-- certificate for rent paid (signed by landlord)

-- Social Security cards for you, spouses and dependents [all individuals to be listed on return]

-- Social Security number or tax ID number for providers of child care

-- other relevant information about earnings and expenses

-- bank routing number and account number (a canceled check works best for checking to ensure correct deposit information)

Taxpayers filing a joint return must both be present when the returns are prepared, because both spouses must sign a joint tax return.

Student volunteers are trained by the Internal Revenue Service and supervised by MATC instructors. For more information, please Jim Benedum, (414) 571-4757, at the Oak Creek Campus.

This service is also available at the Downtown Milwaukee Campus on Saturdays and Tuesday evenings. For more details on Milwaukee Campus assistance, please call (414) 297-8417.

Wisconsin’s largest technical college and the most diverse two-year institution in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. Approximately 50,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers 200 academic programs; nearly 400 transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees; and Pre-College Education, which assists people with completing high school, preparing for college or entering the workforce. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited through the Higher Learning Commission, the national standard for academics and student services.