Award Gala Committee
If funds permit, the Award Gala Committee will be in charge of organizing and planning an end of tax season Awards Program. This committee would take care of all aspects of the evening including decorations, awards, catering, side shows, speakers etc. Our aim is to make an enjoyable and fun time for volunteers and spouses to come together to celebrate achievements and friendships made through our VITA program.
As with any position that brings into contact with volunteers and possible taxpayers, a very short conduct exam is required for this position.
Customer Care Team
Smiling, greeting and treating every individual as a guest of honor will be your best quality for this position! There is no tax law needed, but a very short Volunteer Standards of Conduct quiz is required.
Our Customer Care team manage the waiting area by greeting all taxpayers as a VIP; hand taxpayers forms to complete, and offer drinks and snacks, if provided at the site. Once the taxpayer has finished filling out their intake forms, the Customer Care Team site representative will introduce them to the next available Intake Specialist.
Easy-peasy, but a very valued and important role as we aim to have the best customer service in town!
Facility Team
The facility team is responsible for opening a site; preparing laptops, monitors, scanners, phones and printers so they can communicate together. If there is any set up needed of table or chairs, the facility team would assist with this process.
At the end of the shift, it is the responsibility of the Facility Team to lock all equipment and supplies away prior to locking up.
No tax law is needed for this position but a very short, Volunteer Standards of Conduct quiz is required.
If choosing this position, we encourage you to also sign up for one or more of our other positions. It’s not mandatory, but would give you something to do during the shift instead of leaving and coming back to close.
Sometimes, we have individuals who are willing to work with the Site Coordinator and Partner for just the initial set up in January at the beginning of tax season to make sure everything is operational as far as computers, scanners, etc. This would also fall under the Facility Team.
Photography Team
Do you enjoy taking pictures? Our VITA team is always in need of photographers to visit various sites and take random pictures of our VITA team. These photos will be used in videos, publications, advertisements, news releases, award banquets, websites, Facebook and promotional or education material in any medium.
Any and all pictures will become the property of LTM and cannot be sold or used for any other purposes.
Because you will be interacting at VITA sites with volunteers and taxpayers a very short conducts quiz is required for this position.
Catering Team
When funds are available, we would like to be able to provide lunches, dinners etc. to our hard working volunteers when their shift runs into the lunch or dinner time hours. Snacks and drinks for our customers are another way of showing hospitality to our taxpayers, making them feel welcome and cared about.
Catering may take on many forms. It may be as simple as picking up hoagies, pizza or other items to deliver to the site. It may be calling a caterer to deliver to the site. For those who love cooking, it may mean you get to show off your latest creations.
Because you would be interacting with volunteers and taxpayers, a quick conduct exam is required for this position.
Intake Specialist
Intake Specialist are our front line tax preparers and most needed position. There will be more choices for this position than any other. Smiling, scanning, and making every taxpayer feel like the most important person in the room will be your specialty.
Besides enjoying interactions with taxpayers, our Intake Specialists check taxpayers paperwork to make sure we have all needed documentation to prepare the return. Intake Specialists will scan paperwork and enter taxpayer’s basic information into our software. Our goal is superb customer service!
When not processing a walk-in client, an Intake Specialist may prepare returns within their certification level.
Basic or Advanced tax law is required for this position. However, if you have no tax experience, that’s okay … we will teach you everything you need to know.
Basic Tax Preparer
Our basic preparers are normally first year tax preparers. No experience is required, as we train you in tax law and how to use the IRS TaxSlayer software. You will always have access to multiple helps from written guides to instruction from other preparers at the site.
Along with preparing returns you will be required to help answer the phones. If you are considering the basic position we encourage you to also choose the Intake Specialist position which is our number one need at sites.
Advanced Tax Preparer
Our advanced tax preparers are normally second year or above volunteers. We train you in advanced tax law, how to do quality reviews, and how to use the IRS TaxSlayer software.
In additional to preparing and reviewing returns, you will be required to help answer the phones.
If choosing the advanced position we encourage you to also choose the Intake Specialist position which is our number one need at sites.
Mentor
Mentors are advanced preparers who enjoy sitting with new volunteers to guide them through their first return. Mentors enjoy the one-on-one guidance they give to the new volunteer which helps them gain confidence as a first time tax preparer.
When not mentoring, the mentor will assume the role of an intake specialist or advanced volunteer, preparing basic and advanced returns and doing quality reviews.
Lead Volunteer
A step up from Advanced preparer is the Lead Volunteer. This new position is for those who are certified as advanced preparers and enjoy helping other volunteers with questions as they work through their tax returns.
Lead volunteers will prepare basic or advanced tax returns, and do quality reviews.
Sometimes a site does not have a Site Coordinator present. When this happens a lead volunteer will be able to check the phones for messages, return phone calls, and will be trained how to e-file returns at the end of the shift.
Site Coordinator training is required for this position, but will not entail all the responsibilities of the stipend Site Coordinator role.
Site Coordinator
Site Coordinators are advanced preparers who have previously shadowed and learned from another experienced Site Coordinator.
Site Coordinators take on many roles such as opening the site if a facility team has not already done so, checks the phones for messages and returns calls. The Site Coordinators main role is to be available to the other volunteers to help them with questions as they prepare returns. A Site Coordinator can prepare basic or advanced returns and do quality reviews.
At the end of the shift, a Site Coordinator will electronically file all returns prepared during the shift and check to make sure they are accepted by the IRS. If not accepted, they troubleshoot to find why and correct the return for re-submission.
If a surprise inspection takes place, the Site Coordinator is the one who answers the questions and speaks with the IRS representative.
This particular position is at the top of the list, has more responsibilities than other volunteers, and thus is a stipend position.
Trainers
As we move toward short video training sessions, we can always use those interested in helping us out. Commitment for this can be for classroom, video, zoom or webinar training. If you’re great at communication, and wish to give this a try, please don’t hesitate to check this off as one of your interests. Remember also that not all training is for tax law. With all our new ways to get involved, not all are tax related. We’ll even write your script for you … all you need is a good speaking voice and willingness to give it a try!
Tax Education Team
Life Transforming Ministries is receiving more and more requests for someone to speak to various groups about tax implications and answer general tax questions. We are building a list of individuals who would be willing to participate in such an endeavor. If you would be willing to consider this, please check this off as one of your interests.
Spanish Interpreter
Our Landenberg VITA site is in great need of Spanish interpreters. Our free tax service strives to be the most accurate and best we can be. If you speak both Spanish and English, this is the position for you! Having interpreters is an excellent way to guarantee the consistency and high quality of all of VITA’s important work in the community. Because you would be interacting with taxpayers, a very short volunteer conduct quiz is needed for this position.