Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program for schools with an emphasis on e-file, education and experience
- Does your school have a community service requirement for graduates?
- Would your students benefit from learning about Federal and State tax credits, including the NE State Property Tax Credit?
- Is your school interested in giving back to the community through a community outreach effort?
- Are you looking for a way to connect tax education to the real world?
- Are your students prepared with much-needed life skills, such as filing their tax returns, filing W-4, or general tax knowledge?
- Are your students preparing their FAFSA and know how to read their and their parents’ tax returns?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, we have the program for you!
TCAN and the IRS are looking for schools to host a VITA/e-file site. This program offers basic income tax preparation assistance for underserved families and individuals with low-to-moderate income (under $74,000), persons with disabilities, individuals who speak English as an additional language, older adults, Native Americans, and non-filing families with children. Your students and other volunteers prepare basic tax returns electronically. Under the Volunteer Protection Act of 1974, volunteers are protected by passing IRS certification exams and signing the IRS Volunteer Standards of Conduct Agreement. TCAN and the IRS supply all classroom-training materials, e-file software, and assist with site coordination.
e-file Makes it Easier!
Filing tax returns electronically is quick, easy, convenient, and safe. It also ensures a more accurate filing and reduces the time it takes to get a refund. When you participate in NE VITA e3 you are:
- offering a much-needed service to your community, which extends the value of your school to the community.
- providing your students with real-life applications of skills learned in the classroom.
- developing skills that students will use for the rest of their lives.
NE VITA e3 also…
offers an excellent opportunity to satisfy community service requirements that your students may have to meet. • supports financial literacy and tax related knowledge and skills integrated with national and state curriculum standards. • provides faculty development opportunities. • fosters the development of transferable and interpersonal skills – empathy and personal values
Wanted: A Few Good Schools
Any schools that use the IRS’s “Understanding Taxes” and/or sponsor school clubs, such as the National Honor Society, Student Council, Career and Technical Education (i.e., FBLA) the Nebraska College Preparatory Academy are great potential VITA/e-file sites. TCAN and the IRS are also looking for schools that are innovative, enthusiastic, committed, and supportive. As well as, technologically advanced schools with current hardware, Internet access, and solid tech support. Does your school have a community service requirement for graduates? Would your students benefit from learning about Federal and State tax credits, including the NE State Property Tax Credit? Is your school interested in giving back to the community through a community outreach effort? Are you looking for a way to connect tax education to the real world? Are your students prepared with much-needed life skills, such as filing their tax returns, filing W-4, or general tax knowledge? Are your students preparing their FAFSA and know how to read their and their parents’ tax returns?
A Level of Commitment
NE VITA e3 is extremely flexible. Your school chooses its level of commitment. Your school decides:
- what types of returns you’ll process. Do you want to stick with the basics – wages, retirement income, child tax credits, earned income credits, education benefits, child and dependent care credits, educator expenses, student loan interest, unemployment, social security and railroad retirement and disability income – or do you want something more challenging, such as itemized deductions, self-employment, sales of stocks and bonds, cancellation of debt, premium tax credit, or health savings account?
- who you’ll train. Do you want to train specially selected students from a class, a club, or other group? Do you want to include faculty or other community volunteers?
- how you’ll train. TCAN and the IRS offers a variety of training materials. You can have your volunteers work through modules on their own, or you can offer a classroom-like session.
- when and where the site will be open. Do you want to offer your services during or after school hours? On weekends? You could designate two or three “Mega Saturdays” to process forms.
- whom you will serve. Do you want to process student returns only, or will you offer the services to qualifying faculty or staff? You may choose to offer your site’s services to the entire community or a community in a neighboring community.
Discharge of Liability
Follow IRS Quality Site Requirement guidelines:
- Stay in scope to maintain protection offered through the Volunteer Protection Act of 1974.
- Pass IRS certifications and sign the Volunteer Standards of Conduct Agreement.
- TCAN staff will quality review Form 1040 and transmit.
- Taxpayers sign Form 8879 taking full responsibility for the prepared return after reviewing with their tax preparer.
Support for Your School
TCAN and the IRS will support your endeavor and will supply:
- self-paced training modules for your students and staff with support as needed.
- a step-by-step guide that describes the mechanics of setting up a volunteer site.
- ongoing support from TCAN and IRS Tax Consultants.
The Next Step
For more information or to schedule a meeting call 402-472-0857 or email vita@unl.edu. TCAN staff can assist on becoming a NE VITA e3 site.