Tax preparer completely messed up my student taxes - need urgent help!

You still have options here! Don't panic. Since you just filed yesterday and the IRS hasn't processed it yet, you can still file a superseding return. This is basically a do-over that replaces your original return before the IRS processes it. First, I'd recommend getting a copy of everything that was filed. Contact the VITA site and request a complete copy of your return if you don't already have one. You need to see exactly what they submitted. Next, find a different tax preparer (maybe a different VITA location or use a free online software) and explain the situation. If you're a student with minimal income, you likely qualify for free filing through various programs. They can help you prepare a corrected return. File the new, accurate return on paper and write "SUPERSEDING RETURN" at the top of the first page. Make sure to mail it in quickly before your original return is processed. The IRS will use this new return instead of the one with errors.

I had almost the exact same situation happen with my 2023 taxes and I found this amazing AI tool that totally saved me. Check out https://taxr.ai - it's an AI tax assistant that can look at your documents and help identify errors. I uploaded my return that the volunteer preparer had done and it immediately flagged three major issues, including incorrectly reported education expenses (sounds similar to your 1098-T issue). The tool explained exactly what was wrong and how to fix it. I was able to file an amended return with the correct information before things got complicated. You mentioned the IRS hasn't processed your return yet, so you're in an even better position than I was to fix things quickly.

Just wanted to update that I tried taxr.ai after seeing it recommended here, and wow - it actually helped me find exactly where my preparer went wrong with my education expenses! The AI immediately identified that my scholarships were incorrectly reported as taxable income when they were used for qualified expenses. It gave me a detailed explanation of how education funding should be reported based on my situation, and even showed me the specific line items that needed to be corrected. I was able to file a superseding return before the IRS processed my original one, and my refund amount increased by over $800! Definitely worth checking out if you're in a similar situation with education-related tax issues.

If your return has already been processed by the time you try to fix this, you're going to need to get a human at the IRS on the phone to sort this out - which is nearly impossible these days. I spent 3+ hours on hold multiple times trying to fix a preparer error last year. I finally found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real IRS agent in less than 20 minutes. They have this system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you, then calls you when an agent picks up. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent I spoke with was super helpful once I explained the situation with my preparer's mistakes. They guided me through the amended return process and even flagged my account with notes about the situation.

I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try it because I couldn't get through to the IRS about my amended return that had been pending for 9 months. The service actually worked exactly as described. I entered my phone number, they called the IRS, navigated through all those annoying menu options, and then waited on hold (for what turned out to be 67 minutes according to their tracker). I just went about my day, and then got a notification when they were about to connect me to an agent who had just picked up. The IRS agent was able to see that my amended return had been received but was stuck in processing. She put notes on my account to expedite it since it had been well beyond the normal processing time. Three weeks later, I finally got my refund. Definitely changed my mind about this service!

Former VITA volunteer here. What happened to you shouldn't have happened. VITA volunteers are supposed to be certified and supervised. You mentioned they created their own 1098-T, which is a big no-no. Here's what I'd recommend: 1) Contact the site coordinator for that VITA location. Every site has a manager who oversees the program, and they need to know about this serious error. 2) Ask for a complete copy of what was filed. You're entitled to this. 3) Use the superseding return advice others mentioned, or if it's too late, file Form 1040-X to amend. 4) Consider filing a complaint if the site coordinator doesn't take this seriously: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers

Quick question - does anyone know if using the free tax software like TurboTax Free or H&R Block Free would be better than going back to VITA for fixing this? I'm also a student and had issues with VITA last year (though not as bad as OP's situation).