Washington News

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that it is seeking individuals to volunteer with the Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs.

The volunteers in these no-cost tax programs have helped millions of individuals prepare their tax returns, including modest income taxpayers, seniors and individuals with disabilities. The volunteers range from high school students to retired individuals. The IRS encourages anyone who is interested to sign up to become a VITA or TCE volunteer.

There are many benefits for VITA and TCE volunteers. Here are key points to keep in mind if you are considering signing up:

1. No Experience Required – There is free training for volunteers on the preparation of tax returns.
    
2. Flexible Hours and Locations – VITA and TCE sites are found nationwide. There are different hours and schedules available. Most volunteers serve at night or on weekends.
    
3. Multiple Volunteer Roles – VITA and TCE volunteers have many different functions. These include greeters, interpreters, tax preparers to complete the returns, quality review staff to check the returns, computer specialists and tax coaches.
    
4. Tax Professionals – Tax professional volunteers can earn continuing professional education (CPE) credits. Tax professionals include Enrolled Agents, CPAs and attorneys.
    
5. Assist Those in Need – The VITA and TCE programs are generally available for underserved communities.

Many volunteers benefit from the IRS education programs. These programs include a "Link & Learn Taxes" volunteer certification test. Each year, the IRS prepares a new Link and Learn certification testing website. There is also an extensive Practice Lab resource for individuals. The IRS offers both a Basic course and an Advanced course on taxes.

The Practice Lab is available at VITA.taxslayerpro.com/IRSTraining. To access the lab, there is a generic password "TRAINPROWEB" to view the courses and you will be prompted to create an account. There are additional specialized courses for specific categories. After taking the Basic and Advanced courses, individuals who are serving in the MilTax program may take the Military course.

Individuals who are interested in volunteering may go to IRS.gov/volunteers and sign up. The IRS will thereafter send you a list of the local VITA and TCE sites and an invitation to a virtual orientation.