TSC and Telemundo Team Up for VITA Tax Day Event

With Tax Day just over a month away, many have yet to file a federal income tax return. Texas Southmost College and United Way’s VITA Tax Services program, located in the ITECC building, have been working hard to assist those who need help with the income tax filing process. This past Wednesday, February 26, 2025, they had a little help from Telemundo.

This year’s Telemundo Tax Day is the second iteration of the event, in which representatives from the media network are on-site at the ITECC, holding live broadcasts to promote the VITA Tax services to a wider audience.

“Telemundo has been a great help through their willingness to promote the VITA Tax services to our local Spanish-speaking community,” said Magdalena Solis, Program Director and an instructor for TSC’s Accounting Technology program. “We can get the word out about providing these free tax services and have that information reach more people who can benefit from it.”

Solis has been helping out with the VITA service for the past 23 years, and she hopes that the event will help spread the word to a wider audience about the assistance they provide to those who have yet to file their taxes. With the filing process through VITA being offered free of charge for those whose annual income is under $67,000, raising awareness has always been a priority, and Telemundo has been more than willing to use its reach to help signal boost the event.

“We want to help spread the word to people in the southern Cameron County area to have access to these tax services and information so that they don’t have to go through the struggle of finding a tax preparation place and then having to pay a fee,” said Angelica Falcone, Telemundo 40 Marketing Specialist. “If more people are aware of the free services being offered here, they will be able to get the most out of their return, which is what we want to see,” said Angelica Falcone, Marketing Specialist for Telemundo 40.

Myriad issues cause many to delay filing their taxes, whether it be unfamiliarity with the process as a whole, financial strain, or uncertainty about personal instances, which may or may not affect their filing status. The VITA Tax services program utilizes a pool of trained volunteers, both members the general public and students in TSC’s Accounting Technology program, to help guide individuals through the process, answering any questions along the way.
“In my Accounting Technology program, students have to complete a number of volunteer hours as part of the coursework, and many students have volunteered to help with VITA tax preparation not only to fulfill the volunteer hours but also to get practice using the skills they have learned in their program.”

With April 15, 2025, being the last day to file, there is still plenty of time to take advantage of the VITA program. Individuals interested in filing their income tax through VITA can schedule an appointment by calling 956-295-3761.