8-1 Acc 350 respond

In responding to your peers, comment on the posts of two different peers who live in a different state from you. Comment on how sites operate within your state compared to your peers. Do you share a similar tax preparation experience as your peer?

Post 1: Joseph

List the different sites that offer VITA services or information to taxpayers in your area.

Jefferson County New York

Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County

Share the link to the website that you think provides the best information about VITA.

Explain how the sites differ and which one would attract you as a volunteer.

The Jefferson County Civil Service provides a lot more information about the services of their VITA program. They also provide a link towards the IRS website if a taxpayer were to look for further information about a specific section for filing a tax return. As for

Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County, the site provides information about what a VITA volunteer does but with little resources. They provide a contact number for a site counselor if a taxpayer were to seek more information about the services.

What is the likelihood that you will volunteer for the next tax year?

The likelihood of applying as a VITA volunteer is probably at 7 of 10 chances, reason being is needin more time to understand the advance section of the test and then some. There were some questions that were a bit tricky to me that I would like to clearify with deeper research.

What questions do you still have about VITA?

How are the volunteers placed according to the VITA testing, Say there are 4 volunteer and everyone has a high passing test score but some understand a specific section better than others, where is that volunteer placed if everyone has the same scores. Also, are they any pracite sites for specific sections of the test via basic and advanced placements?

What skills do you feel you’ve mastered in this course in relation to VITA?

The skill that I feel I have a complete understanding is how utilizing form 13614-C and transferring the information to a form 1040. Understanding that a form 13614-C is the foundation of a taxpayers tax return is a key process of the volunteer’s code of conduct that helps the site remain in operation and allow other taxpayers to have access to a sites services. 13614-C also helps volunteers conduct and be thorough when gathering information from a client to ensure that the taxpayer receives the most/best available optin for their return.

Reference

Post 2: Long

After searching VITA Tax Preparation Centers Memphis, TN, I found several local options offering free tax preparation services. These include United Way of the Mid-South Free Tax Prep, VITA services promoted through the Memphis Public Library, and the official IRS VITA/TCE Site Locator Tool.

The website that provides the best overall information is the IRS Free Tax Return Preparation page:

It clearly explains eligibility requirements, volunteer opportunities, and how to find locations by zip code.

The sites differ in structure. United Way offers organized, seasonal volunteer opportunities with IRS-certified training, while library locations and community events appear more event-based. I would be most interested in volunteering with United Way because it seems more structured and would allow me to build hands-on experience in tax preparation.

The likelihood that I will volunteer next tax year is high. After completing the VITA prep materials and tests, I feel more confident in the process and expectations.

I still have questions about the time commitment during peak season and opportunities for advanced-level certification.

In this course, I feel I have mastered the VITA intake and interview process, learned how to review returns for accuracy, and gained a stronger understanding of credits, filing statuses, and IRS guidelines.

References

Internal Revenue Service. (n.d.). Free tax return preparation for qualifying taxpayers (VITA/TCE).

Memphis Public Libraries. (n.d.). Tax assistance (AARP & VITA).

United Way of the Mid-South. (n.d.). Free tax prep.