Tax Preparation Volunteers Needed in Inland Empire; Training Provided

The following was submitted for publication by IRS Spokesman Raphael Tulino:

The IRS in partnership with the Inland Empire Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Coalition is looking for volunteers to assist in preparing tax returns next year throughout the Inland Empire. Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds are welcome.

All volunteers receive tax training in cooperation with community partners and the IRS. People with excellent computer skills are especially needed to assist with the IRS e-file program.

“VITA provides a great service for eligible lower-income taxpayers to get free tax preparation during the tax filing season,” said IRS Spokesman Raphael Tulino. “By partnering with San Bernardino County-based coalitions like the Inland Empire VITA Coalition, Southern California taxpayers will have lots of free tax help options in 2014.”

[RELATED FROM THE IRS: Seven Good Reasons Why You Should Become a Tax Volunteer]

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs offer free tax help to people with low-to-moderate incomes. This includes people with disabilities, senior citizens and those who speak English as a second language.

Last year, nearly 92,000 volunteers at thousands of sites nationwide assisted more than 3.3 million taxpayers. Here are a few good reasons to consider:

—No previous experience required

—IRS provides free online tax law training

—Flexible volunteer hours

—Various volunteer duty options

—Time commitment is minimal

Training

Training is usually held in December or January and volunteers generally study online with Link & Learn Taxes to get their volunteer certification. The Link & Learn program is an interactive course that teaches the steps needed to prepare basic individual income tax returns accurately. Once certified, volunteers spend as little as three to four hours per week from early February through mid-April.

To learn more and to become a volunteer, go to the IRS Tax Volunteers webpage at IRS.gov. Potential volunteers may also contact:

• Kevin Davison of Catholic Charities in San Bernardino County at 909-391-4882.
• Sally Alvarado of Lighthouse Learning Resource County at 951-536-1794.
• Kareem Gongora of CAP Riverside at 951-955-3571.