SCOPE OF WORK: The IRC’s Program Quality and Innovation Unit assists offices which help newly arrived refugees and other low-income individuals reach self-sufficiency by finding entry-level employment and progress to living wage jobs; learn basic financial management skills and build assets; start small businesses; and access Earned Income Tax Credit. Under the supervision of the Tax Site Coordinator, Volunteer Tax Quality Reviewer will conduct a quality review on tax returns prepared to ensure every taxpayer receives top quality service and that tax returns are error free. The program is offering services to clients in IRC offices located in Phoenix, AZ, Salt Lake City, UT, Denver, CO and Elizabeth, NJ. The IRC’s goal is to assist 4,000 taxpayers in preparing their returns in a safe, culturally and linguistically appropriate manner – remotely.

COMMITMENT: January- April 2023 between 3-15 hours per week. Volunteer will need to supply his/her own home workspace, computer, internet access, etc.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Tax Preparation

  • Complete all IRC and IRS mandated trainings by January 2023. Including the Volunteer Standards of Conduct Training and Ethics; the Volunteer Standards of Conduct certification; and complete the Intake/Interview & Quality Review certification.
  • Gain Basic certification to prepare taxes, however, gaining Advanced certification is preferred. To help prepare more complicated returns, certification is needed at the Circular 230, Advanced, Military, Health Savings Accounts, Puerto Rico, Foreign Student, or International tax law levels. Prepare only returns that are within your certification level(s) and within the scope of the VITA/TCE Programs
  • Prepare and provide high-quality tax returns to all taxpayers. Interview taxpayers using Form 13614-C, Intake/Interview & Quality Review Sheet, to determine if all income, deductions, and allowable credits are claimed.
  • Engage the taxpayer when preparing the tax return, to ensure understanding of the information on the intake sheet.
  • Advise the taxpayer that he/she is ultimately responsible for the information on the return.

Quality Review

  • Conduct a quality review on all returns, using the Quality Review Checklist found in Publication 4012. Using the completed Form 13614-C and source documents, ensure all these items are consistent with the entries on the tax return.
  • Advise the taxpayer that he/she is ultimately responsible for the information on the return before asking the taxpayer to sign Form 8879 or the tax return. Explain to the taxpayer that signing the return certifies that the taxpayer has examined the return, including all the forms and schedules for accuracy, and they are signing the return under penalty of perjury.
  • Provide feedback to volunteer preparers explaining identified errors captured during quality review and instructions for making the necessary corrections.

REQUIREMENTS:

  • High school diploma required.  Students studying finance, accounting, or a related field, preferred.
  • No previous experience as a VITA volunteer required – IRC will provide the required training for the program per IRC’s and the IRS’s policies.
  • Excellent customer service skills, including experience working with a diverse client base;
  • Strong organizational skills and high level of attention to detail;
  • High level of computer literacy;
  • High level of comfort and effectiveness in working with multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams;
  • Strong commitment to economic empowerment of low-income and underserved populations;
  • Ability to speak in other languages a plus.
  • Go through an IRC background check
  • COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires all volunteers who are interested in providing in-person support for our work to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be onboarded for the position. If proof of vaccine cannot be provided, volunteers may still apply for virtual-only roles.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1.          The volunteer will learn how to effectively coordinate VITA program 

2.          The volunteer will learn about providing financial services to community members.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

In light of COVID-19 and the dynamic situation across the world, this opportunity will be a home-based, remote work assignment (instead of office-based).

Commitment to a regular schedule is preferable, though schedule can be flexible per your other commitments.


This position reports to the Tax Site Coordinator and local Financial Capabilities Staff.

This is an unpaid volunteer position. No financial compensation, including compensation for relocation, is available.

Interested applicants should complete their application online, and attach a resume and cover letter.

IRC leading the way from harm to home.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability. 


NEXT STEPS:

  1. Attend a general volunteer orientation, sign up for the next one here: https://signup.com/go/FVjFCTJ.
  2. Attend VITA volunteer training, more instructions will be provided after completing the general volunteer orientation.