Tax Season Survival Guide
Know Before You File
As tax season approaches, people are feeling ready to put their best foot forward and make the most of 2026. For some, the idea of tax season is exciting, with promises of refund money and simple return filing. For others, however, they may be dreading a long, complicated, and expensive process. In order to make your tax filing season fast and easy, we have compiled a tax season survival guide!
Where Can I Get My Taxes Filed?
If you are a student here at the U of U, we can actually do your taxes for you through our on-campus Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site! The U has its own VITA clinic through the FWC, where we can file your taxes while also providing resources to assist you with any issues you may face during the process. In order to fit you into one of these sessions, be sure to schedule an appointment. Our clinic takes both international and domestic students, as well as undergraduate and graduate students. We would love to file your taxes this year!
Something to keep in mind when filing with our on-campus VITA site is that the VITA program is limited in scope. This means that there are certain types of returns that we cannot file due to the limitations of the program. If you are unsure if you are in or out of scope, you can check here! If you are out of scope, don't panic! This year, through an exciting partnership with NoRTH Tax Filing Group, we are able to refer students and staff to free tax help even if you are out of scope. To get connected with NoRTH for free tax filing assistance, click here! Please note, to file with NoRTH you will need to register with a .edu email address.
What Should I Bring to My Appointment?
Identification:
Before you start assembling a binder of all of your tax forms, make sure that you have the proper identification! VITA sites take this matter very seriously, so it is incredibly important that you have all necessary identification and documentation. Make sure than you have your social security card, or a clear picture of it. If you are an international student, you will need additional items like your passport, visa, and I-94. To make things easy, please refer to the checklists below.
Dependency Status:
When filing taxes, whether or not a parent/guardian claims you as a dependent can heavily impact how you are taxed. If you are not certain of your dependency status while getting your taxes filed, your tax preparer may have to reschedule you. Be sure to double check ahead of time with your parent/guardian to see if they plan on claiming you as a dependent.
Health Insurance:
While this one might seem unrelated, it is important that you are aware of your insurance provider. This is due to the unique situation that is prompted by taxpayers with marketplace insurance plans. If you have marketplace insurance, you will be expected to complete Form 1095-A. However, if you are filing as an independent and you have marketplace insurance, this is out of scope for our clinic. If you do not have health insurance, please consider visiting the Basic Needs Collective and getting connected with resources.
Forms:
Here are some of the most common forms that we see students bring in to our tax clinics! If you expect to receive one of these forms, it is important that you bring it to your tax filing appointment.
- W2’s: A form received from your employer for work. If you work a job for an employer you should be receiving one of these.
- 1099-NEC: This form is for any freelance work you may have done in the year. Some examples include babysitting, contracting, etc.
- 1098-T: A form received from the university, this document contains information about your tuition paid and scholarship money you received. This document can have heavy tax implications so be sure to bring yours.
- 1099-INT/DIV: This form denotes the amount of money you received as interest from a bank account or as dividends from an investment. Please note you will only receive this form if you received over $10 in bank interest.
While this might not be every form you’ll be receiving, checking for these is very important. When getting your taxes done it's better to be safe than sorry, so bring anything that you may have received from a job, bank, or insurance company for tax purposes.
Why Should I File?
Even though taxes may be difficult and time consuming to file, it is incredibly important that you file a timely and accurate return. Your tax return is useful for gaining residency status, applying for FAFSA, record keeping, and so much more. Additionally, most students receive tax refunds and are eligible for refundable credits, so don't miss out on some extra money this year! Even if you owe money, it is incredibly important that you file your taxes and pay them efficiently to avoid garnished wages or liens on your property.
Key Takeaways:
- The Financial Wellness Center offers free tax filing services to students
- You can book a tax filing appointment here
- Check if you are in scope BEFORE your appointment
- Ensure that you have the proper identification and all relevant tax forms
- Know whether or not you are being claimed as a dependent
- Know whether or not you have ACA Health Insurance
- Filing your taxes is incredibly important for residency, FAFSA, and record keeping