Students from the University of Guelph’s accounting program have placed second in the Free Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) Tax Clinics Challenge (government/academic category) for the second consecutive year.  Working with CPA Ontario and the Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition, approximately 30 students joined forces to provide free tax return services to members of the Guelph community.

“This is a great opportunity for students to put their skills to work and give back to the community,” says Sandra Scott, assistant professor with the College of Business and Economics. “It’s important for everyone to complete their tax return each year and I’m proud that our students have once again helped make this a reality for those needing assistance.”

The Free CPA Tax Clinics Challenge is a provincial competition that challenges CPA members in firms and industry to volunteer at tax clinics. In Guelph, U of G accounting students worked in teams of two throughout March 2014, completing approximately 40 returns. Through this process they had the opportunity to work with real clients, an experience Scott says is incredibly valuable to their professional development.

“Completing a tax return with someone watching can be intimidating,” she says. “Having students do the returns in teams allows them to work together through any problems they encounter.”