As the 2025 tax season ends, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program at Cal State LA’s College of Business and Economics celebrates another successful year. With over 2,100 tax returns prepared and more than $3 million in tax refunds processed this season alone, VITA student volunteers demonstrated professionalism, accuracy, and a commitment to serving the community.
Operating every Saturday, VITA provided services not only on the 3rd floor of Salazar Hall but also at several off-campus locations including Homeboy Industries, Our Lady Queen of Angels Church, Cypress Park Branch Library, Lincoln Heights Regional Library, El Sereno Branch Library, Arroyo Seco Regional Library, and Young & Healthy. Despite a temporary closure at one site due to the Eaton Fire, the VITA team quickly resumed operations to continue serving clients.
The VITA program was staffed by a dedicated team of student volunteers, including supervisors and support staff, handling both domestic and international tax returns. To ensure a smooth and efficient process, operations were divided into three rooms:
- Intake & Operations
- Filing, where roles are split between filers and approvers
- International Tax Services, designated for assisting international students
All roles were performed by College of Business and Economics students. Among them, Abdulazeem O. Falola and Matthew Bonilla served as supervisors, having risen through the ranks of the VITA program. “VITA has opened my eyes to the fundamentals of taxes and taught me the importance of paying attention to even the smallest details—one mistake can create major issues,” said Abdulazeem.
On the international side, Annette Lopez, a senior and first-year VITA volunteer, shared, “It’s a good experience. Serving international students has been an eye-opening opportunity where I’ve had to learn to think quickly on my feet. There’s no such thing as an easy tax return.”
Each tax return brings a new challenge. Senior Matthew Bonilla? shared, “Just today, I worked on what seemed like the simplest return but received an error.” He explained, “When inputting information, you have to be extremely careful. A single mistake—like entering the wrong date—can trigger an error message and halt the filing process. Fortunately, I found the issue and corrected it.”
These real-time problem-solving experiences offer invaluable hands-on training for undergraduate and graduate accounting students, preparing them for the demands of the professional world. The VITA program continues to be a cornerstone of experiential learning at Cal State LA, combining service, leadership, and technical skills in one impactful initiative.
