MARIETTA — Students at Osborne High School have the opportunity to learn how to prepare taxes, something not often seen in schools in Georgia or elsewhere.
Osborne accounting teacher Michael Devault teaches students how to prepare taxes for the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, a free tax preparation program for those that make $64,000 or less per year.
The program was highlighted at a recent event put on by the United Way of Greater Atlanta at Osborne High.
“We teach them how to do returns, they take a test, and we prepare returns for free for the community,” Devault said.
“It’s eye-opening for them to see the process and understand what it is,” Devault said. “You’re going to have to file a tax return the rest of your life, so it’s getting them that education early, and for them to give back, to me, is the biggest reward.”
Osborne senior Brenda Garcia said she initially hadn’t planned on being in the class.
“I never really expected to have anything related to taxes or business because it wasn’t something I was interested in at first, but the more my teachers talked to me about it, the more I was interested in it,” she said.