Under the supervision of the Tax Site Coordinator and Financial Coach, Volunteer Tax Preparers will provide free, professional tax preparation services for low-income clients through IRC’s National Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. The program is offering services to clients in IRC offices located in Phoenix, AZ; Denver, CO; Elizabeth, NJ; New York, NY; Dallas, TX; and Salt Lake City, UT. The IRC’s goal is to assist 4,000 taxpayers in preparing their returns in a safe, culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.  

 

COMMITMENT: January - April 2024 between 3-15 hours per week. Volunteers must pass a self-paced online certification before they can begin volunteering



LOCATION: North West Community 5750 Pineland Dr, Dallas, TX, 75231

 

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Tax Preparation 

  • Complete all IRC and IRS-mandated training by January 2024. Including the Volunteer Standards of Conduct Training and Ethics; the Volunteer Standards of Conduct certification; and complete the Intake/Interview & Quality Review certification  
  • Gain Basic certification to prepare taxes, however, gaining Advanced certification is preferred. To help prepare more complicated returns, certification is needed at the Circular 230, Advanced, Military, Health Savings Accounts, Puerto Rico, Foreign Student, or International tax law levels. Prepare only returns that are within your certification level(s) and within the scope of the VITA/TCE Programs 
  • Prepare and provide high-quality tax returns to all taxpayers. Interview taxpayers using Form 13614-C, Intake/Interview & Quality Review Sheet, to determine if all income, deductions, and allowable credits are claimed  
  • Engage the taxpayer when preparing the tax return, to ensure understanding of the information on the intake sheet  
  • Advise the taxpayer that he/she is ultimately responsible for the information on the return 

Quality Review 

  • Conduct a quality review on all returns, using the Quality Review Checklist found in Publication 4012. Using the completed Form 13614-C and source documents, ensure all these items are consistent with the entries on the tax return  
  • Advise the taxpayer that he/she is ultimately responsible for the information on the return before asking the taxpayer to sign Form 8879 or the tax return. Explain to the taxpayer that signing the return certifies that the taxpayer has examined the return, including all the forms and schedules for accuracy, and they are signing the return under penalty of perjury  
  • Provide feedback to volunteer preparers explaining identified errors captured during quality review and instructions for making the necessary corrections 

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:  

1. The volunteer will learn how to coordinate VITA program effectively   

2. The volunteer will learn about providing financial services to community members 

 

REQUIREMENTS: 

  • Volunteers must pass a self-paced online certification before they can begin 
  • High school diploma required.  Students studying finance, accounting, or a related field, preferred 
  • No previous experience as a VITA volunteer is required – IRC will provide the required training for the program per IRC’s and the IRS’s policies  
  • Excellent customer service skills, including experience working with a diverse client base; 
  • Strong organizational skills and a high level of attention to detail 
  • High level of computer literacy;  
  • High level of comfort and effectiveness in working with multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams; 
  • Strong commitment to economic empowerment of low-income and underserved populations 

 

WORKING ENVIRONMENT: 

  • Volunteers set their own schedule, but volunteers must be on a consistent schedule, week to week 
  • Volunteers would begin their training in November/December and begin volunteering with clients starting in January and service would end at the beginning of May 
  • Virtual service opportunities, in person, are available at Northwest Community Center in Dallas 
  • Minimum 3 hours of service per week once tax season begins 

 

HOW TO APPLY: 

  • Attend an info session by emailing [email protected]
  • Submit a volunteer application here
  • Complete self-paced online certification through the IRS
  • Pass a background check ($45 contribution is encouraged to offset cost) 
  • Submit the requested paperwork and set a 1st day
  • Begin your service!