Jordan Hannah
Staff Writer
The end of the tax season means refunds are being paid out and income taxes are being paid in. However, this year it means much more here on Parkland’s campus.
On April 15, Parkland will provide pizza and soda in the cafeteria from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. for everyone in celebration of this national holiday. Parkland will also be taking this opportunity to educate its students and faculty about the troubles that many groups face when filing taxes, as well as the steps you must take in order to file.
On April 15, 2015, Parkland College plans to provide students with pizza and pop to provide a much-needed break from the stress of tax day. Refreshments will be located in Parkland’s Cafeteria, located in the Student Union.
Information will be available for those people who pay into the government, mainly about the procedures for payment and how to apply for income tax extensions.
April 15 is an important day, not only for the both the State and Federal government, but also for all students and faculty at Parkland. As many of you know, April 15 is National Tax Day, which marks the deadline by which most people must file their taxes.
Despite how easy filing taxes may be for those who have been taught by parents or relatives, there are still those who do not know what needs to be done when it comes to preparing tax forms. Many of these groups include exchange students, non-English speakers, and anyone who may have greatly changed the amount of taxable income they have received within the last year. Because of this, Parkland feels the need to hold such an event as a way to help its community as well as these underrepresented groups. Chemistry major and international student Jonquil Sameón explained some of the troubles he has had during this season.
“There is not a lot of information out there. We cannot even find out how to start. Once you start, it is vague how to even finish. It leaves you needing help from the different tax businesses around town,” Sameón stated.
Many international students do not have much help understanding how to file their taxes. This may leave them feeling the need to resort to using less-than-necessary services to complete the task that is required of them. This is the exactly why the Advisor of Student Finances, Jim Drewry, proposed such a celebration for the population of Parkland.
Drewry helps students such as Sameón get information during tax season, and also provides help understanding the many financial aid options available to Parkland students. Drewry explained that they are indeed many distinct groups who experience confusion when it comes to tax preparation.
“The students that come to me usually have trouble with their financial aid. Occasionally, mostly during this time, international students come for tax help. They don’t understand the forms that all of us have trouble with,” Drewry said. “Many students are also changing income brackets, picking up jobs and getting more money than before. They are just starting to file taxes.”
The students Drewry is mainly targeting with this event are international students. In his opinion, however, the students that have lived in the United States also tend to experience some difficulty understanding how to file their taxes.
Students that go from making no money to earning a wage must start paying taxes with almost no previous information on how to navigate the various forms necessary to complete their taxes. Graphic design major Danielle Phills has lived in the United States her entire life, yet has not seen a tax from until this year.
“Last year I had lived with my mom, so she claimed me. But this year, I have a job, and I go to school, along with living on my own. This year I didn’t know what to expect with taxes. I’ve never done them,” Phills explained.
Phills and Sameón are just a couple of examples of students who need help with taxes. Knowing how to file taxes continues to be an issue in the Parkland community, regardless of the wealth of information that is available.
Parkland, as well as Jim Drewry, wants to know about the problems students have during this time and they feel the pizza and soda celebration on April 15 is a perfect way to reach out to students here at Parkland. If you or a friend has had trouble this year, or you simply want to eat your fill of pizza, feel free to join Jim Drewry in the new Student Union cafeteria for this informative event.
