IRS Honors Penn College for Taxpayer Assistance
Published 06.08.2009
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Penn College has been honored by the Internal Revenue Service for its participation in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, which uses agency-certified business students to provide free tax help to qualified area residents. The college again collaborated this past tax season with the Salvation Army, where a brief ceremony was held Monday in recognition of that longtime involvement. Phillip D. Landers, VITA site administrator and professor of business administration/accounting at Penn College, was presented with a "Best Supporting Partner" statue similar in size, appearance and heft to an Academy Award by the Pennsylvania/Delaware territory of the IRS' Stakeholder Partnerships, Education and Communication division. "You and Penn College went over the top; you really just kept doing and doing," said Pat Healy, senior stakeholder relationship tax consultant. "We have so many hopes for this Lycoming County coalition, and we know that your heart and soul is in this." Among those hopes is an initiative to betteraid taxpayersin Pennsylvania's rural areas, primarily senior citizens and Earned Income Tax Credit qualifiers. Pictured are, from left, Lea Bonsera Zacharka, senior stakeholder relationship tax consultant; Salvation Army Major Marie Harris; Jim Daugherty, IRS territory manager; Landers and Healy.