COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP RIVERSIDE COUNTY Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program

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1 Thank you for your interest in Community Action Partnership of Riverside County's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program! As the 2011 tax season approaches, CAP Riverside is seeking dedicated volunteers to provide free tax preparation for low-to-moderate income residents. The Riverside County Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program provides free tax preparation assistance to residents and encourages assetdevelopment to help families move out of poverty. The only requirements are a willingness to learn something new and a desire to help others. Volunteer Process: 1. Register/Apply using VolunteerHub (the link can be found below) 2. Register for training using VolunteerHub (Training dates and locations will be issued in early November) 3. Arrange to pick up training materials from CAP offices (Training materials will be available around Thanksgiving. s indicating pick up dates and times will be sent once CAP has received the shipment of materials) 4. Complete and pass basic certification exam prior to attending your first training class 5. Attend selected trainings for both tax law and software 6. Complete practice exercises and use PracticeLab for extra practice outside of training 7. Complete and pass intermediate exams through Link & Learn website. (All volunteers must be certified through the intermediate level in order to assist at VITA sites) 8. Attend site operations training 9. Schedule yourself for volunteer shifts using VolunteerHub 10. Show up at tax sites and assist with tax prep 11. Record volunteers hours upon completion of shifts using VolunteerHub 12. Complete a minimum of 25 service hours over the course of the tax season 13. Attend volunteer recognition at the completion of the tax season We are very excited to continue our use of the VolunteerHub online management system for the season and we hope you ll find the site helpful and easy to use over the course of your volunteer tenure. Visit (note: no www prefix) and complete your registration today! By registering with VolunteerHub, you will be added to our list of active volunteers and will be notified via when trainings are available and upcoming volunteer events are on the calendar. You will also be able to log your volunteer hours and schedule yourself for volunteer shifts as the season progresses. Once you've registered with VolunteerHub, you will receive an at the address provided on your application. This will include your sign on ID as well as your individual password, so be sure to keep the information handy as you will need this information to access the site. It may also be helpful to add this site to your favorites section. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Meghan Hahn, Program Coordinator, at (951) or mhahn@capriverside.org

2 EITC FACT SHEET What is EITC? The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) was established in 1975 by Congress as a refundable Federal income tax credit for low-to-moderate income working individuals and families. EITC is an anti-poverty tool which encourages asset development and creates opportunities for families to permanently move out of poverty. Qualified families may receive up to $4500 of Earned Income Credit when filing Federal tax returns. What is VITA? Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) is a collaborative of Community Action Partnership of Riverside County (CAP Riverside), the Internal Revenue Service, community volunteers, faith-based and community-based organizations to offer free tax preparation, asset building strategies and financial education to improve the wellbeing of the working poor in Riverside County. Who benefits from VITA? The following taxpayers who file forms 1040, 1040A and 1040EZ: Low-to-moderate income families Persons with disabilities Limited English speaking taxpayers Older taxpayers How Do We Help the Community? Information about free tax preparation services and the Earned Income Tax Credit is provided to the community by collaborative partners connecting eligible families with additional supportive services. Local community partners: AARP Bank of America Blythe Community Center California Baptist University Casa Blanca Family Learning Center Cathedral City Senior Center Center for Employment Training Cesar Chavez Library Chateginy Community Center City of Riverside Coachella Valley & Inland Empire Women s Business Centers College of the Desert Corona/Norco United Way 2009 Tax Year - Program Summary County of Riverside Hemet Library Glen Avon Library Grace Church Internal Revenue Service Lake Elsinore Headstart Lake Elsinore Senior Center Mount San Jacinto College Palm Desert Library Riverside Community College Soboba Tribal TANF United Way of the Inland Valleys University of California, Riverside Wesleyan Christian Fellowship $2,779, Refund total for Riverside County $1,239, EITC total for Riverside County $1, Average EITC per return $1, Average refund per return

3 Volunteer Qualifications: COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP Basic tax knowledge (form 1040, Form 1040A and Form 1040EZ) Willingness to share time, skills and interests Volunteer in the VITA Program at least 25 hours from January 15 to April 15 Knowledge of basic computer skills Possess a pride in performing tasks completely and accurately Ability to interact with the public on personal matters in a helpful and supportive manner Exhibit a friendly, dependable and flexible nature Ability to maintain confidentiality Basic Responsibilities: Screener/Resource (intermediate certification level required): Greet taxpayers visiting the site Interview taxpayers and complete intake forms Review and organize taxpayer s documents and verify identity Conduct surveys and code forms for data entry Provide additional community resource information Obtain signatures and provide copy of return to taxpayer Tax Preparer (intermediate certification level required): Review taxpayer s information including sources of income, deductions and allowable credits Prepare taxpayer s returns Electronically file tax returns Quality Reviewer (one year tax experience required): Review completed tax returns and supporting documents for accuracy and completeness Report any errors to Tax Preparer Assist with difficult tax questions Site Coordinator (one year tax experience required): Oversees the general site operations and quality of services Act as liaison between volunteers and staff Program Coordinator Oversee quality review process Assist Tax Preparers with difficult tax return issues and/or electronic rejection errors Completes electronic filing of batched tax returns at the end of each shift Submits weekly e-file transmission reports to staff Program Coordinator (if applicable) Interpreter (basic certification level preferred): Knowledge of basic tax returns Provides translation services to taxpayers Assists taxpayers who are non-english speaking, hearing-impaired or disabled

4 WHY SHOULD I VOLUNTEER? Volunteering with the VITA program is demanding. First you have to attend an orientation, you have to learn taxes, and finally you have to take and pass exams just so you can volunteer 25 hours of your time over the course of the tax season. Sounds like a lot doesn t it? But we truly believe that with great sacrifices come great rewards. Take a look at the following benefits and opportunities available to you, completely free of charge (when you ve completed the volunteer program, of course): Enhance your resume: There is no better way to expand your volunteer section on your resume. More and more corporations are looking for well-rounded employees who are active in their community and volunteering with VITA is just the ticket! Gain relevant experience: Volunteering with VITA counts as relevant experience on your resume. You are doing real tax returns for real people and developing problem solving and leadership skills all at the same time. If you ve been trying to break the vicious cycle of needing experience to get a job, but not having a job to get experience VITA is the perfect opportunity to establish marketable skills that are sure to help you impress on that next interview. Develop leadership skills: Leadership skills are the key to standing out from the crowd and proving your aptitude and ability. There are plenty of opportunities to take the VITA experience farther than just tax preparation. After you ve experienced a season in the program, volunteer to be a site coordinator, assistant coordinator or a trainer. All of these positions will help you to develop those skills that are so highly sought after in the workplace. Community Service Hours: At the end of tax season, each volunteer will receive an official letter indicating their hours of service. This letter can be used as proof of community service hours for your organization and to help get you on track towards earning the coveted President Volunteer Service Award. Recognition: In an effort to display our appreciation for all of your hard work throughout the VITA program, we hold a special recognition ceremony at the close of tax season. This event will not only serve to recognize you for all of your efforts, it will provide you an excellent networking opportunity with professionals in your area. Letters of Reference: Upon request, personalized letters of reference will be prepared for your use towards scholarships, college applications and future employment. Learn and Explore Taxes: Upon volunteering with VITA, you might just discover how much you enjoy taxes and decide to pursue a career in the field. This experience is unlike most others in that you will have the chance to explore a professional field, before you spend the money on classes and testing only to find out it might not be your cup of tea (though we sincerely hope it is). Make friends and contacts: At the tax sites you will be working closely with other volunteers for several months. You ll go through training together and learn the tax law together. Some of you will be there to satisfy your community service hours for an organization, others may be there to enhance job skills, while others may be there just because. Regardless of your individual reasons for volunteering, you re all there for one primary reason to help members of the community. What better way to meet and connect with people who share common interests than volunteering? Good Karma: You will be helping your community and people in need. What else could you ask for?

5 VOLUNTEER FAQ S Q: Do I need to submit a resume or have previous tax preparation experience? A: No, you do not need to submit a resume or have previous tax preparation experience. Training is provided free of charge to all volunteers who participate in the program. Q: How much accounting or tax knowledge do I have to have? A: Although many of our volunteers are accounting majors currently enrolled in college or experienced professionals in the field, interested people from all backgrounds and walks of life are encouraged to apply. All volunteers, regardless of background or experience, are required to participate in VITA tax training and become VITA certified prior to the start of tax season. We will provide you with everything you need to know; all we ask in return is your dedication, effort and follow through. Q: What are the training dates? A: Training dates and locations will be released in early November. Once training dates are released you will be able to register for your preferred location and time on VolunteerHub. Q: What is the minimum commitment? A: We ask that our volunteers commit a minimum of 25 hours at the volunteer sites over the course of the tax season. The 25 hours can be comprised of any combination of hours worked at sites; three hours one Friday and five hours the following Saturday (and so on) is a perfectly acceptable way of completing the minimum requirement. You can always work more than the 30 hours if you wish. Q: How does the volunteering work? How do I get the information needed to prepare individual tax returns? Will I interact with clients? A: In early January you will be scheduled to prepare taxes at one of our sites. Say, for example, you are assigned to be at the Casa Blanca Family Learning Center in Riverside from 11am to 2pm on Saturdays. On Saturdays you will physically go there and spend 3 hours working at the site as a screener, volunteer tax preparer, quality reviewer, transmitter, or site coordinator. Clients will come into the site with all of their information and necessary documents and sign in at the site. From there, packets and forms will be numbered and issued to the client and a screener will conduct an intake interview to ensure the client has provided all necessary information. Once the intake interview has been completed, the client s return will be added to the queue to be prepared. The return will be then be prepared by a volunteer tax preparer and looked over by a quality reviewer. The return is then signed by the tax payer and the process at the site is complete. At the end of the tax day, a transmitter will review and electronically transmit all returns to the IRS. Site coordinators are on hand to ensure a good flow at the tax site and to assist with any issues or concerns that may arise at the tax sites. While we prefer our site coordinators to manage and lead the site, there is an occasional instance where there is a need for them to provide coverage for the other positions at the site. All materials and forms needed to prepare tax returns are provided to each site and restocked when needed. Volunteers are only required to bring their provided name badge and volunteer reference manuals to the sites. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

6 VOLUNTEER FAQ S (CONTINUED) Q: If I make a mistake on a return, am I liable? A: No, you are not liable. As an unpaid volunteer, you do not sign returns you prepare. For this reason, the client takes all the responsibility. However, it is important that our volunteers keep in mind that our clients are real people, with real tax returns and real money. It is far better to advise a client that their return is too complex for our program and that it should be prepared by a paid preparer, than attempt to complete the return and create problems for the client further down the road. Q: I see there are locations listed all over Riverside County. If I volunteer and live in Riverside, will I be required to drive all the way to Indio or even Blythe to prepare tax returns or attend trainings? A: Our tax prep locations are strategically placed throughout the county in order to maximize the amount of people and families we serve. That said we do not expect our volunteers to drive 100 miles roundtrip in order to assist with the cause. Trainings are offered in various geographic locations in order to make it easier and more convenient for the volunteers to attend. During the tax season, volunteers are placed at sites based on preferences listed on their original application and site availability. Q: When is the last day to apply to take part in the VITA program? A: While there is no deadline to apply, for training purposes we ask that our volunteers apply as soon as possible. Our goal is to have all volunteers trained and certified prior to the end of the January. As we get closer to the start of tax season, training opportunities are limited and volunteers may be required to self-train. Q: What if I have more questions? A: Our inbox is open 24/7. Send us an at mhahn@capriverside.org and we will get back to you. If you d rather call and talk to us in person, please feel free to contact Meghan Hahn at (951)