Duquesne Students Help 400 Families File Free Tax Returns

When Amy Yurko heard about a program helping low-income families with tax preparation in 2018, she knew her accounting students needed to be part of it. Eight years later, that decision has changed hundreds of lives.

Duquesne University students and faculty now volunteer through the Pittsburgh Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, offering free tax help to families earning $69,000 or less. In 2024 alone, they logged 800 volunteer hours, completed over 400 tax returns, and helped clients receive more than $700,000 in refunds.

The program works through a credit-bearing course taught by Yurko, now an associate professor at Duquesne's business school. Students earn IRS certification, then work weekly shifts at community sites across Pittsburgh, preparing real tax returns for real families.

For students like Emilia Koleva, a senior accounting major who volunteered for two tax seasons, the experience goes far beyond textbook learning. She passed the advanced preparer exam in her second year and discovered skills she didn't know she needed.

"Working with clients definitely showed me that there's an element of technical work and communication skills that you need to have when you're an accountant," Koleva said. She learned when to ask for help, when to trust herself, and how to double-check her work with real money on the line.

This year, students volunteer at five locations including Just Harvest South Side, Bedford Hope Center, and the Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh in Brentwood. Each site serves families who might otherwise pay hundreds of dollars for tax preparation or miss out on refunds entirely.

Yurko believes the program matters more than ever because tax filing has become increasingly complex. Even simple returns now involve calculating credits, deductions, phase-ins and phase-outs that confuse many people. Plus, the shift to electronic filing and specialized software puts free preparation services out of reach for many low-income families.

The Ripple Effect

The impact extends far beyond the numbers. Yurko calls this "the best course I've taught" because students learn what it means to be fully human in their profession. They develop people skills, master tax law, and gain software expertise while sitting across the table from neighbors who genuinely need their help.

Not a single student has regretted taking the course, Yurko said. Many volunteer for three or four years, and some continue after graduation. Eighteen students participated in 2024, each one becoming stronger both as an accountant and as a person.

For families struggling to make ends meet, that $700,000 in refunds represents car repairs, medical bills paid, and breathing room in tight budgets. For students, it's the moment their education becomes something bigger than themselves.

The program operates under United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, part of a nationwide network of VITA sites that bridge the gap between complex tax codes and the people who need help navigating them. Every volunteer must pass certification exams and commit to weekly shifts throughout tax season, with all returns reviewed by supervisors before filing.

That $700,000 is headed back into Pittsburgh communities, one family at a time.