By Jamil Oakford/editor-in-chief

The deadline to file federal taxes is fast approaching, and many TCC students are racing to send them in before the April 15 deadline.

NE student Anthony Emerick, who hasn’t filed yet, finds tax preparation frustrating.

“This is my second year doing my taxes, and last year was nothing,” he said. “I got $75 back.”

Emerick finds filing taxes a bit tedious.

“I think it’s annoying to have to fill it out,” he said.

Some students found the overall activity irritating. Others found benefits in it. This was SE student Tierra Gillory’s first time filing, and she has already received her tax refund.

“I guess it was nice to randomly get money to spend,” Gillory said.

Filing with family or a family friend seemed to be a popular option over e-filing software like TurboTax or with tax companies like H&R Block.

“I have a family member who does taxes for us, and she helped me do mine,” Gillory said.

For Emerick, he trusts a friend to help him file.

“We had a friend who did the taxes last year, so it’ll probably be the same thing this year,” he said.

While the process may bring annoyance or offer a nice surprise with tax returns, tax season brings some trepidation for some students.

SE student Perla Sanchez said tax season is unpleasant.

“Even though I have a child, it’s dreadful,” she said.

For those students filing in the hopes of finishing FAFSA applications or qualifying for other government-assisted programs like Medicaid, this process can be rough.

“Because even though we don’t make a lot of money, we make a lot of money for their standards,” Sanchez said.

And many people like Sanchez, even with the tax exemption for claiming a dependent, end up with little gain. It only adds to the frustration when Sanchez hears about others who receive thousands of dollars back in tax refunds.

“Even with a child, we end up paying so much back,” she said.

As the deadline closes in, students can find help for filing taxes through student-aided VITA until April 15 on SE Campus or through several services both online or in-person.