Become a Tax Volunteer and Make a Difference in our Community

Are you interested in making difference and helping people in our community? Becoming a tax volunteer may be right for you. Thanks to its partnership with HRA of New Britain, the Wallingford Public Library will offer income tax filing service beginning January 2018. The IRS sponsors two programs that offer free tax help across the country: the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs.

The IRS is currently looking for people to become trained volunteers to provide free tax help. As a volunteer, you will receive all the tax training you need so you can help others file their tax return.

Training dates for Meriden and Wallingford are as follows: All volunteers must attend a 2.5 hour orientation. Orientation will be on Wednesday, December 7, from 5:00-7:30pm. All volunteers must attend two training sessions at Platt High School in Meriden to complete their certification: Saturday, December 9, and Saturday, December 16, from 9:00am-3:30pm. Breakfast and lunch will be included as part of training. All sessions and materials are FREE of charge.

Interested volunteers should apply using this link: http://bit.ly/2jOb6Ml and select Meriden/Wallingford region to register for the December training at Platt High School

Here are five good reasons why you should become a VITA or TCE volunteer:
1. No prior experience needed. You’ll receive specialized training and can serve in a variety of roles. If you are fluent in another language, you may be able to help those who speak that language.
2. Free tax law training and materials. You’ll learn how to prepare basic tax returns and learn about tax deductions and credits that benefit eligible taxpayers. These include credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Credit for the Elderly.
3. Volunteer hours are flexible. Volunteers generally serve an average of three to five hours per week. The programs are usually open from mid-January through the tax filing deadline in April. A few sites are open all year.
4. VITA and TCE sites are often nearby. More than 12,000 sites were set up in neighborhoods all over the country this year. They are often set up in community centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls and similar places. Chances are good that you can volunteer at a site near you.
5. Continuing education credits for tax pros. Enrolled Agents and non-credentialed tax return preparers can earn credits when volunteering as a VITA/TCE instructor, quality reviewer or tax return preparer. See the IRS fact sheet for more information on Continuing Education Credits.

As a volunteer, you’ll join a program that’s helped millions of people file tax returns at no charge for more than 40 years. Your help will make a difference. It’s people helping people. It's that simple. To find out more, visit IRS.gov and type "tax volunteer" in the search box.