Help Low-Income Working Families as a Tax Season Volunteer!

Volunteer Tax Assistor - Financial Education Volunteer - Volunteer Tax Site Greeter/Screener

Click this link to send an email to  Jennifer Moore, Director FSST Community Council,  or 733-5421 to register.

  • No accounting experience needed.  Tax software guides you every step of the way.  Or, you can volunteer to do customer service.
  • No liability to volunteers.  Training is provided and sites follow the IRS VITA free tax preparation program.

 
  • Evening and daytime hours available.  Select times that are convenient for you.
  • Time commitment is up to you. Volunteer as much or as little as you like.
  • Multiple locations in Richland and Lexington counties. Choose a site near where you live or work.
 
Orientation

Next Date Saturday, January 26, 2008

9:00 a.m.  until 4:00 p.m
United Way of the Midlands
1800 Main Street (corner of Main and Laurel in downtown Columbia).
You may attend either orientation, but please register by email at eitc@uway.org.  
 
The orientation will cover topics such as what to expect as a volunteer, roles and responsibilities, and the basics of tax law.  If you are unable to attend an orientation, we can send you the materials and are happy to help with questions!

Volunteer Roles and Skills
Role of a Volunteer Tax Assistor: To provide free basic tax return preparation for eligible tax payers.  To establish the greatest degree of public trust, volunteers have the responsibility to provide high-quality service and uphold the highest of ethical standards.        
 
Volunteer commitment needed and skills:
  • Attend orientation and basic training, including training on the use of filing software
  • Self-study IRS training materials
  • Successfully pass an online IRS test on required tax knowledge before mid-January
  • Interview clients to determine if all income, deductions, and allowable credits are claimed
  • Prepare returns only for those for which training and certification were provided
  • Refer clients with complex returns to the IRS web site or help number, or to a tax practitioner or firm.  However, volunteers should not refer clients to specific firms.
  • Volunteers cannot accept any type of compensation for volunteer services provided
  • Maintain confidentiality of client information
  • Ensure a copy of the return is provided to the customer
  • Adhere to federal Title VI by not denying service to anyone based on race, color, sex, age, national origin or disability.
  • Volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of 2-4 hours per week during tax season (mid-January through April 15, 2008). 
  • Basic computer skills to enter tax returns
  • Ability to work with clients in a helpful and supportive manner
  • Supplies, IRS forms, and computers will be provided by the United Way of the Midlands
  • Volunteers will be matched with sites based on their availability and convenience of the site to their work/home
  • Volunteers may also be asked to work at mobile sites, such as a homeless shelter or on-site employer location, based on volunteer's availability
Financial Education Volunteer: To provide free financial education information to low- and moderate-income working families and individuals in conjunction with the United Way of the Midlands free tax preparation program. 
 
Volunteer commitment needed and skills:
  • Attend brief orientation with United Way staff on what to expect as a volunteer.
  • The tax prep sites will be open from Mid-January to April 15, 2008. 
  • 6-8 tax sites will be available open at various times during the day, evening, and weekends.  Most sites are open for tax prep one or two days a week for about four hours each of those days.
  • Provide high quality information on financial literacy topics such as: the importance of good credit, mainstream banking options, etc…
  • May work in a group setting (for example training based on the FDIC Money Smart or similar course) or one-on-one with clients (for example to review their credit report). 
  • Ability to work with clients in a helpful and supportive manner
  • Volunteer services offered would be based on the volunteer's availability, comfort and skill level, and policies or preferences of the volunteer's bank employer.
  • Volunteers may also be asked to work at mobile sites, such as a homeless shelter or on-site employer location, based on volunteer's availability and the volunteer's bank employer preference.
Role of a Volunteer Tax Site Greeter/Screener: To greet clients entering free tax prep sites and review client's materials to ensure they have everything needed to complete their returns.

Volunteer commitment needed and skills:
  • Attend orientation and basic training.
  • Self-study basic IRS training materials, but testing is not required.
  • Use IRS checklists on materials client's should have.
  • Volunteers cannot accept any type of compensation for volunteer services provided.
  • Maintain confidentiality of client information.
  • Adhere to federal Title VI by not denying service to anyone based on race, color, sex, age, national origin or disability.
  • Volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of 3-4 hours per week during tax season (mid-January through April 15, 2008). 
  • Ability to work with clients in a helpful and supportive manner.
  • Volunteers will be matched with sites based on their availability and convenience of the site to their work/home.
  • Volunteers may also be asked to work at mobile sites, such as a homeless shelter or on-site employer location, based on volunteer's availability.

2007 VITA Sites

For the 2007 tax year, United Way of the Midlands will offer eight new free tax preparation sites in Richland and Lexington counties and launch an Earned Income Tax Credit outreach campaign in coordination with the sites. 
 
Cecil Tillis
2111 Simpkins Lane
(Downtown Columbia)
Harvest Hope
2220 Shop Road
(Near Williams Brice Stadium)
Cooperative Ministry
3821 Beltine Blvd, Columbia
(Near Two-Notch Road side of Columbia)
God's Storehouse
1731 Rosley Rd
(Behind Columbia Mall)
Lexington One-Stop
714 South Lake Drive, Lexington
(Hwy #6 going into Town of Lexington)
Midlands Community Development Corp.
2430 Atlas Road Columbia
(Southeast side of Columbia)
Mobile Site
Various locations using laptops. Sites may include homeless shelters, on-site with companies, apartment complexes
Additional sites to be determined
 
Volunteers are asked to contact Jennifer Moore, Director FSST Community Council, at eitc@uway.org or 733-5421 to register.