Montana State accounting students to offer free tax help starting Feb. 23

BOZEMAN - Accounting students from Montana State University's Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship are offering free help preparing tax returns for MSU students and community members who made less than $60,000 last year.

The 2026 help sessions will be held on the MSU campus in Jabs Hall, Room 215 from 3:15 to 5:15 p.m. on the following dates: Feb. 23, 25; March 2, 4, 9, 11, 23, 25, 30; and April 1.

People interested in these services are encouraged to make an appointment to guarantee a spot, which can be done online at https://bit.ly/msu-vita-2026. Individuals should only make one appointment - people with multiple booking will be removed from the schedule. There will be a limited number of walk-in spots each day.

At the sessions, upper-division and graduate students in the Master of Professional Accountancy program will be available to prepare federal and state income tax returns and answer tax questions. Free electronic filing will be available for most 1040 forms.

Attendees should bring their 2025 W-2 forms, Forms 1099, Forms 1095-A, B or C (Affordable Care Act statements), any other tax-related documents, a picture ID, Social Security cards for each person listed on the return and copies of their 2024 tax returns, if available.

The student accounting volunteers are part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA, program, which was established by the Internal Revenue Service to assist people who may find it difficult to pay for tax preparation services. The program also gives accounting students practical experience. In addition to helping the Bozeman community, MSU VITA volunteers have traveled to remote villages in Alaska to help Native communities with limited internet access file their tax returns.

Each student accounting volunteer has passed an IRS tax preparation exam, completed at least one comprehensive tax course, received specific training related to common tax issues and has access to a variety of federal and state reference materials. The sessions are sponsored by the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship.

For more information, visit https://www.montana.edu/business/accounting/vita/.