Volunteer Income Tax Assistance - VITA Information Session: Volunteer at Tax Time

“Thank you, Thank you!” Agenda About the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Program The Volunteer Experience Roles and Qualifications Learning and Certification Tax Preparation (Prep) Sites Next Steps “Thank you, Thank you!” WELCOME 2

Information Session: Volunteer at Tax Time  VITA Program  IRS sponsored  National program  Implemented locally  Northern Virginia…  Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun Counties  Community organizations ABOUT THE VITA PROGRAM 3

Information Session: Volunteer at Tax Time  File Federal and State Income Tax Returns for families with annual income of $52,000 or less ABOUT THE VITA PROGRAM 4

Information Session: Volunteer at Tax Time  A typical VITA Client is…  Single  $20,000 in income  35% receive the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)  20% receive the Child Tax Credit (CTC)  8% receive an Education Credit  8% Itemize Deductions  13% file Schedule C (Profit or Loss from Business) ABOUT THE VITA PROGRAM 5

Information Session: Volunteer at Tax Time  What is the volunteer experience like? “I could tell that I was really helping people and that my efforts were appreciated.”* “I enjoyed the camaraderie with fellow volunteers.”* *VITA Volunteer Survey 6 THE VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

Information Session: Volunteer at Tax Time  Greeters and Interpreters  Meet the public  Understand and speak English very well  Attention to detail  Tax Preparers and Screeners – all of the above, in addition to  Have prepared a tax return or similar experience/training  Interview skills  Comfortable with new software  Facilitated Self-Assistance (FSA) – all of the above  Clients use the tax prep software, you coach them 7 ROLES AND QUALIFICATIONS

Information Session: Volunteer at Tax Time  Training and Testing  Greeters/Interpreters – up to 2 hours  Tax Preparers/Screeners – up to 12 hours  Volunteering  Each session – 3 to 5 hours  One or two sessions per week  11 weeks 33 to 110 hours for the filing season 8 TIME COMMITMENT

Information Session: Volunteer at Tax Time Standards of Conduct Est. Time to Test 1 hr. Basic Est. Time to Test 4 hrs. Health Savings Accounts Est. Time to Test 2 hrs. Advanced Est. Time to Test 4 hrs. Cancellation of Debt Est. Time to Test 2 hrs. International Est. Time to Test 1 hr. Military Est. Time to Test 1 hr. CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS 9 All Volunteers Tax Preparers /Screeners

Information Session: Volunteer at Tax Time Take either the Basic Test OR the Advanced Test 10 BASIC VS. ADVANCED CERTIFICATIONS BASIC*ADVANCED - all Basic items plus Filing status Dependents W-2s, Interest and Dividends, Unemployment, Social Security, “Easy” Retirement payments “Difficult” Retirement payments, Capital Gains Schedule C Standard and itemized deductions Credits: Dependent Care, Earned Income, Child, Education, Retirement Savings *About 85 percent of our Clients can be served by volunteer preparers certified at the Basic level

Information Session: Volunteer at Tax Time LEARN: STANDARDS OF CONDUCT 11 Three ways to learn… 1.Self Study – and/orwww.linklearncertification.com 2.Classroom – 1 hour, see for schedule and/orwww.nvacash.org 3.Webinar of Classroom training – on demand access at

Information Session: Volunteer at Tax Time LEARNING – BASIC CERTIFICATION 12 Four ways to learn… 1.Self study – and/or 2.Classroom – 3 hours “1040 Page 1” and/or 3 hours “1040 Page 2”, see for schedulewww.nvacash.org and/or 3.Webinar of Classroom Training – on demand access at AND 4. Practice Problems in Publication (Pub) 4491-W

Information Session: Volunteer at Tax Time LEARNING – TAXWISE 13 Two ways to learn… 1.Classroom – 3 hours “1040 Page 1” and “1040 Page 2”, schedule at nvacash.org and/or 2. “Practice Lab” PASSWORD - learntwo “Training”

Information Session: Volunteer at Tax Time LEARNING – TAXWISE 14

Information Session: Volunteer at Tax Time LEARNING – VIRGINIA 15 One way to learn… Self study VA Form 760 at

Information Session: Volunteer at Tax Time Oct 1 st – volunteer registration opens at Oct 4 th – 2014 TY IRS training materials should be online at Pubs 4961, 4012, 4491-W, Nov 8 th – 2014 TY Practice Lab Software – TaxWise – should be available at Nov 12 th – earliest date hardcopy IRS training materials will be shipped Dec-Jan – classroom training at Annandale, Chantilly Library, Reston, South County, Leesburg Jan 23 – earliest date for site opening KEY DATES 16

Information Session: Volunteer at Tax Time SITES 17

Information Session: Volunteer at Tax Time All Volunteers Register at Use any or all of the 3 ways to learn the “Standards of Conduct” Take and pass the SOC Test at Print your SOC Test Certificate and your Volunteer Agreement from linklearncertification.com Wait to hear by from your Site Coordinator about Site Orientation Bring Test Certificate, Volunteer Agreement and Photo ID with you to your Site 18 NEXT STEPS

Information Session: Volunteer at Tax Time Tax Preparer and Screeners, also…. Use any or all of the 4 ways to learn “Basic” Take and pass the Basic Test at Print Test Certificates from Wait to hear by from your Site Coordinator about Site Orientation Bring your Test Certificates, Volunteer Agreement and Photo ID with you to your Site 19 NEXT STEPS

Information Session: Volunteer at Tax Time QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS 20