Tax Preparer Volunteers Needed!

Project Description:
NYCfNAC (www.nycfnac.org) is looking for volunteers to help administer our FREE tax preparation services to low income tax filers during the upcoming 2013 tax season (January to April 2013). All volunteers will be trained and placed at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites operated by community-based credit unions in East Harlem and the Lower East Side in Manhattan, and Bedford-Stuyvesant and Bushwick in Brooklyn. In 2012, our VITA programs generated nearly $15 million in tax refunds for over 10,000 low-income households. The VITA Program was established by NYCfNAC and its nonprofit credit union partners in response to commercial tax preparation firms that charge low-income taxpayers excessive fees and encourage them to borrow their refunds at high interest rates. Your help is needed to permit these families to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and receive all the refunds they are due. An estimated $500 million per year is being lost to New York City residents by EITC-eligible families that do not claim their refunds. At our sites we also promote financial literacy and offer filers, particularly the unbanked, the opportunity to open accounts with our credit unions, so that they can receive their refunds quickly by direct deposit, and enter the financial mainstream. Tax Preparer Volunteers will be asked to: •Work 4 to 8 hours per week during weekdays over a 13 week period from mid-January through April 15th; •Complete a basic self-study course on-line by early January and receive a passing score on a test to receive IRS certification; •Attend an in-person training session on tax law and TaxWise software in early January; •Serve as a tax preparer at one of our VITA sites; •Assist with outreach to clients and communities, when needed.
Skills Category:
Finance
Additional Skills Required:
Qualifications include: (Training and tax preparer certification will be provided by NYCfNAC and the IRS); Proficiency with Windows and Office programs; Dedication to working with low income communities; Patience and flexibility. Though the following skills aren't necessary, we are particularly looking for individuals with: Prior tax preparation skills or a strong accounting background; and Bilingual Spanish/ English skills. If you would like to volunteer with us, please email NYCfNAC’s Program Director, Sara Martin at smartin@nycfnac.org. Thank you.
Location:
209 East 3rd Street New York, New York 10009
Committment:
Ongoing Project
Application Process:
Click here to Apply