SUNY Canton and Area Agencies Offer Free Tax Assistance

Canton, NY (01/24/2020) — Students and faculty from SUNY Canton's Accounting and Business programs are partnering with AARP Tax-Aide, the Potsdam Neighborhood Center, and SeaComm Federal Credit Union to offer free tax assistance at locations around the North Country.

The college's program is overseen by Accounting Professor Ran Li and Legal Studies Professor Jondavid S. DeLong, who are committed to helping individuals and families file their 2019 tax returns. This is the third year that the college has joined with outside agencies in an effort to offer the valuable assistance to a broader audience.

For more than 15 years, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program at SUNY Canton has allowed students to help individuals correctly prepare their taxes while under the supervision of tax certified professionals.

At SUNY Canton, the free tax assistance will be available by appointment between January 29th and April 8th in SUNY Canton's Accounting, Business and Finance Center in Cook Hall Room 100. The free service is offered to SUNY Canton students and income-qualified community members.

The College's Financial Literacy Center and the School of Business and Liberal Arts sponsors the free tax preparation program with community partners as a service to those who cannot afford to visit an accountant or who are unable to prepare their taxes on their own.

For more information visit SUNY Canton's VITA Webpage. To schedule an appointment at SUNY Canton, contact the School of Business and Liberal Arts by phone at (315) 386-7328.

AARP Tax-Aide and other VITA sites are being run by the AARP Foundation, the Potsdam Neighborhood Center and SeaComm Federal Credit Union at locations throughout the area, including:

• Assistance from AARP Tax-Aide will be available in Canton, Massena, Potsdam and Ogdensburg. For more information, contact Sheryl Campbell at 315-212-0450.
• SeaComm Federal Credit Union will be providing tax help on Saturdays by appointment in Canton, Malone, Massena, Ogdensburg, Plattsburgh and Potsdam. Contact Seacomm at 1-800-764-0566 for scheduling information.
• The Potsdam Neighborhood Center at 2 Park Street will be preparing returns from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays on a walk-in basis.

About SUNY Canton

SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in digital design, engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 18 online degree programs. The college placed first in 14 categories in a SUNY-Wide Student Opinion Survey, most notably in career services, tutoring, library resources, and classroom facilities. The college's 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also offers varsity esports and cheerleading. For more information, visit www.canton.edu.