Kingsley House is proud once again to join the ranks of other Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs who provide free tax preparation to individuals in our families and the broader community. VITA sites provide an invaluable service with free tax return preparation/filing and assistance claiming available tax credits designed to move individuals from poverty towards financial security.
What You Need to Know:
- No prior tax preparation nor business/accounting experience is necessary
- Free IRS Certification Training is provided; all taxes are required to be quality reviewed by two preparers before submission to avoid errors
- This opportunity is a short term commitment (tax season dates are January 18 – April 18) with flexible hours
The Kingsley House VITA program offers you several benefits as a volunteer such as:
- Free training to confidently offer quality service and gain other marketable skills to expand your résumé
- Participation in a rewarding community service while meeting new people, improving your leadership abilities and improving your technological proficiency
- A recognition certificate at the end of tax season
- An invitation to attend the Volunteer Recognition Event
Volunteers can get involved in one of three ways:
- Tax Preparers receive training and IRS certification, prepare simple tax returns and discuss the tax return with the taxpayer after the quality review process is complete.
- Intake Specialists greet and screen all taxpayers to ensure they have the necessary information and documentation required to complete tax returns. They also explain the VITA intake packet to each taxpayer and assist them in completing forms.
- Interpreters provide free interpretation and translation services to customers who are not fluent in English, or who may need other assistance.
Click here if you would like to volunteer. Information about training will be forwarded to you within the next two weeks.
VOLUNTEER FAQS
What is the time commitment? Volunteers are required to attend one mandatory 4-hour training session. Training sessions will be held on December 16, 2021, from 10am until 2pm and January 6, 2022 from 10am until 2pm. A minimum of 4 shifts per month (2-3 hours/shift) will be asked of volunteers during the tax season (January 18, 2022 – April 18, 2022)
What if I can’t make the training session? Because all filers are required by the IRS to complete the training for certification, you will not be able to volunteer as a tax preparer. However, Intake Specialists/Program Support volunteers can review the required information and the Code of Conduct to test on their own time.
What if I don’t have an accounting or business background OR have no experience filing tax returns? No worries! All the necessary training required by the federal government is provided to you. You are required to pass the certification exam to assist our site and all files receive multiple reviews before any button is pushed.
If I am a Kingsley House employee, can I volunteer during the day? We will work with supervisors to seek approval for staff to volunteer during the day, based on departmental staffing situations. We may also need assistance at a site during our evening hours.
Feel free to email the KH VITA Coordinator at mildred.jones@kingsleyhouse.org with questions or for more information.
