With tax season ongoing, numerous ads pop up on television and radio about tax help. What many people living around the Demorest area may not know is that there is a program at Piedmont that can assist.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, otherwise known as VITA, is brought on by the IRS. VITA offers free tax prep assisted by tax-certified Piedmont students, and personal meetings are held in the Swanson Center.
2026 is the second year the program will run, once again with business professor Jay Long being a main part of the organization. Appointments will be available until April 15, the official tax filing deadline.
“It’s from 8:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. You need an appointment – sadly, you can’t just walk in,” said junior finance and accounting major Nick Winter. “The people who come in are very grateful for the free service.”
Winter is one of seven licensed students who offer help. Appointments can be scheduled by phone at two numbers:
706-677-6230
706-395-8069
Demorest, Clarkesville and Homer offer appointments, but to zone in on the Piedmont area, the tax prep is held in the Swanson Center and most often by licensed Piedmont students like Winter. There are easy directions on where to go once an appointment is booked – there is a white sign showing “VITA TAX PREP” at the entrance of the Swanson Center lobby.
The usual craziness of tax season can be reduced with assistance from the VITA program and licensed help from Piedmont students.
