ALBANY LAW SCHOOL — Few things are certain in life. Paying taxes is one of those things. Each year, as Americans work to file their taxes by the mid-April deadline, many low-to-moderate income people, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and those with limited English-speaking skills turn to volunteer-based government programs to make sure they file on time and correctly. This year, a group of student volunteers, Professor Danshera Cords, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany, and United Way of the Greater Capital Region are coming together to provide assistance to people in the Capital Region through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Through this IRS-sponsored program, certified volunteers help millions of taxpayers prepare and file their taxes for free at thousands of sites nationwide. Jared Scali ’23 and Keith Pelcher ’23 are leading the student volunteer portion and so far, they’ve helped dozens of Capital Region residents prepare their tax returns. “There’s absolutely a need for it, we had interest before we even had things set up,” Pelcher said. “Taxes can be complicated. People don’t always know what they have access to. And for people who live paycheck-to-paycheck, work long hours, or just don’t have a lot of options to get their taxes done, it’s a great service. It’s been very rewarding to help.”