Need tax help? For North, McKay students, it’s offered during school

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Tato Ferris was less than 30 minutes into his first class on Tuesday when he got a good piece of news: the government owed him more than $200.

Ferris, a junior at North Salem High School, filed his taxes during North’s advisory period with the help of David Fox, the school’s personal finance teacher. Ferris sought help after trying to figure out online free filing forms on his own and getting stuck.

“They robbed me,” he joked to Fox as they looked at the taxes withheld on his behalf.

With Fox’s help, he was able to get all the state and federal taxes withheld last year from his Dollar Tree paycheck back as a refund.

“This is a much easier way to do it,” he said.

North is one of 11 high schools in Oregon offering students help filing their taxes as part of a program through the state Department of Human Services.

McKay High School began offering such help last year when the state launched a pilot program. After learning about their effort, Fox and business teacher Richard Peterson wanted to bring the program to North.

The pair as of Tuesday morning had helped nine students file taxes in multiple workshops offered during the school’s advisory period. Students earned refunds ranging from $16 to $920. The average has been about $400, Fox said.

Meg Reinhold, a state tax infrastructure coordinator who oversees the high school program, said many young people believe their parents file for them and don’t realize they have to fill out their own form to get the money they’re owed.

Some may not realize they’re owed money, or think they can’t get a refund if their parents claim them as dependents.

Across the schools she’s visited, she said refunds of $800 to $1,000 are common.

North hosts a newcomer program for students whose families recently arrived in the U.S. Fox said about half the students who have filed at school are newcomers and don’t have anyone else to help them navigate the U.S. tax system.

“Their families aren’t familiar with the system,” he said.

The teachers work one-on-one with students in the back of a classroom, guiding them to free filing software from the Internal Revenue Service website and answering questions that come up.

Neither teacher at North has an accounting degree or formal training on taxes, but both have run businesses and said students’ returns are uncomplicated. Most have just a single W-2 from working a job.

Reinhold said the state provides teachers a walk-through of free filing software and a $2,000 stipend for their time. Schools also get a $750 marketing budget and folders to give students for their completed tax forms and other important information.

She also attends the first clinic at each school to help.

Ferris and other North students filing got a $20 Target gift card for their time, along with doughnuts their teachers purchased with the marketing funds.

Ferris said he didn’t have plans for his refund yet, but was considering putting it in his retirement account. Next year, he said he’ll know how to file on his own.

In some cases, the North teachers said the impact of their help extends beyond the classroom.

“I had one student that said, ‘Now I can go home and help my parents,’” Peterson said.

Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.

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