CSUN VOLUNTEERS CAN DO TAXING WORK FOR YOU.

Byline: Lori Moody Daily News Staff Writer

Tax season can be taxing.

To the rescue come 200 students from California State University, Northridge, who are volunteering to prepare federal and state income tax returns free of charge for people who can't afford professional help and whose gross income is $40,000 or less.

"It was actually an excellent hands-on experience," said Michael Goldberg, a CSUN business major who participated in the effort, known as the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, for three years. "You felt you were doing something good for the community."

CSUN's VITA program has been helping low-income senior citizens and others since 1971. Sixteen VITA centers in the San Fernando Valley and the Los Angeles area will be open on different days and times through March 29. The centers will be closed during CSUN's spring break, then will resume April 8-14.

No appointments are allowed, so get there early, organizers say.

Bring tax forms, W-2 forms, interest and dividend statements, receipts and records for deductions, a copy of last year's tax returns and any other related materials.

Some of the sites will have Spanish, Korean and Russian speakers.

A few of the centers will be using a computerized tax system to prepare returns.

"This is the first time we've used computers," said Cathy Jeppson, faculty adviser for CSUN's program and an associate professor of accounting. "It's neater and, more importantly, it does clerical checks."

Student volunteers also will help individuals who have received the proper forms from the IRS to file their federal taxes by phone through the Telefile program.

The student volunteers, most of them business majors, receive nearly 25 hours of training in general tax law and tax return preparation before the program begins. In addition, VITA supervisors get updated information on new tax laws. IRS agents are on hand at some centers as advisers to review tax forms before they are returned to the taxpayers.

"I'm surprised that more people don't know about it," Deborah Guajardo, an IRS spokeswoman, said of VITA. "It's very valuable. You get free assistance. You can't beat that."

Here is list of most of the CSUN VITA centers, hours and days of operation. For additional information, call [phone]:

CSUN, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, 5 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesdays.

First Presbyterian Church, 10400 Zelzah Ave., Northridge, 3 to 5:30 p.m., Thursdays.

Office of Councilwoman Laura Chick, 19040 Vanowen St., Reseda, 6 to 8:30 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Panorama Mall, 8401 Van Nuys Blvd., Panorama City, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sundays.

Van Nuys Federal Building, 6230 Van Nuys Blvd., No. IS14, Van Nuys, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Fridays.

Pacoima Library, 13605 Van Nuys Blvd., Pacoima, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturdays.

Santa Rosa Center, 511 Kalisher St., San Fernando, 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays.

Sylmar Library, 13059 Glenoaks Blvd., Sylmar, 4:45 to 7:15 p.m. Wednesdays.

North Hollywood Regional Park, 11430 Chandler Blvd., North Hollywood, 4 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays.

Josyln Adult Center, 1301 W. Olive St., Burbank, 4 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays and 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays.