The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program is seeking local volunteers for next year’s filing season. Volunteers are not required to have any prior experience—just a desire to help people in their community prepare taxes free of charge.
Through two training phases, in a classroom and online, volunteers will be taught everything they are expected to know by Internal Revenue Service certified instructors and computer programs. Volunteers become IRS Certified Income Tax Preparers upon completion of an exam.
In exchange of the certification, volunteers are asked to provide tax services for citizens from Chattanooga, South Pittsburg and Cleveland for four hours a week starting mid-January through April 15, 2017.
“Volunteers truly enjoy working together to provide community members the assistance they need during tax season,” said Val Palmer, VITA area coordinator. “Our volunteers come from every walk of life with the common desire to serve those who need their help, and many of these volunteers have been serving the community in this capacity for years.”
The schedule for training provides flexible dates, beginning in August, to accommodate with the volunteer’s needs. All training materials, including modern tax preparation software, will be provided by VITA.
The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga, along with the IRS, City of Chattanooga, City of South Pittsburg, City of Cleveland, and UT Extension, offer the free tax preparation service through VITA to individuals and households with a yearly income less than $54,000. VITA volunteers prepared more than 9,900 tax returns for local citizens in 2016.
For more information, contact Ms. Palmer at vpalmer@epbfi.com or 423-756-1762 ext. 19.