Milwaukee elementary and middle school students prepare for tax day



MILWAUKEE -- One of the joys of being a kid is not having to pay taxes. But a group of 5th graders in Milwaukee dives right in, so they'll have a head start later on.

Milwaukee elementary and middle school students prepare for tax day at the JA Kohl’s Education Center



Taxes can be confusing, especially when you're in middle school. But the idea here is the earlier you learn, the easier it gets.

Students spend the day in a fictional city -- and run its economy.

"It is kind of like realizing why sometimes your parents get kind of stressed out about it," said Shelby Erickson-Stiemke, 5th grader at Humboldt Park School.

It all takes place at the Junior Achievement Kohl's Education Center. Students from five Milwaukee Public Schools learned how to fill out an IRS Form 1040 and submit their tax forms.

"It is like real stores and some of them are real companies, so it is easier to understand when it is a real life situation," said Shelby.

Milwaukee elementary and middle school students prepare for tax day at the JA Kohl’s Education Center



The middle and high school students who come through Finance Park are all taught how to budget. They're all give a life scenario -- a spouse, a job, perhaps kids, and then they're given a tablet. It is how they will see how much will be deducted from their monthly income, by dragging over their taxes.

"They understand that something gets taken out and the goods and services they pay for, the parks, the police, the fire, things like that," said Steve Schmidt, Senior VP of Junior Achievement USA.

Milwaukee elementary and middle school students prepare for tax day at the JA Kohl’s Education Center



Typically your deadline to file would be Friday, April 15th. However, this year, the deadline was pushed back to April 18th. That's because April 15th is Emancipation Day -- a legal holiday in Washington, D.C.