Come Volunteer with Tax-Aid. 

Tax-Aid is only able to achieve our mission through the incredible efforts of our dedicated volunteers. Whether you’re preparing taxes or greeting clients you’ll change lives and make an immediate difference. And have a little fun while you’re at it. We need experienced tax preparer volunteers to help us with our virtual tax services. Please send an email to admin@tax-aid.org.

Top 10 Reasons to Volunteer

  1. Taxes are cool!
  2. You can tell your friends and family about this really cool thing you’re doing.
  3. You might get to tell a family that they are getting a tax refund!
  4. You can add this experience to your resume & LinkedIn profile.
  5. It’s a fantastic networking opportunity.
  6. You will be making a difference in someone’s life!
  7. You’ll get to use your brain.
  8. All volunteer opportunities are skills-based.
  9. You’ll be able to learn new things about taxes.
  10. You’ll be making your community a better place

Welcome

We recommend ALL volunteers watch this short Welcome video from Tax-Aid’s Executive Director Jill Sturm. Welcome Video 

Returning Tax-Aid Volunteers

Please check your email for your personal invitation to sign up to volunteer. This email may be in your spam folder. If you have not received that invitation please send an email to admin@tax-aid.org.

New volunteers
If you are a new volunteer and do not have prior experience preparing client tax returns, you may join our VITA volunteer program as a virtual tax volunteer. VITA is the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance grant program which is an Internal Revenue Service initiative designed to support free tax preparation service. You will need to complete a series of online training videos and take a certification test to become a VITA volunteer. 
 
Follow these steps to start the VITA Certification: 
  1. Review the directions for Certifications, Link & Learn and Practice Lab
  2. The following resource guides will assist you in the practice lab and certification
    • 4012  Volunteer Resource Guide
    • 4491  Volunteer Training Guide
    • 6744  Test booklet
  3. You may access the practice lab and certification from this link.  You will need to create a personal log in and password
  4. After you complete the certification process, please send us an email to admin@tax-aid.org and include a PDF copy of your VITA certification.

 

Volunteering with Tax-Aid 365

Tax-Aid 365 is our year-round service. We help people with tax issues after the tax season ends between the months of May through January. If you have any questions contact minnie@tax-aid.org

Do you have another skill or talent? Tax-Aid needs help with other areas such as event planning marketing, SEO, data analysis and more. Let us know what you can do or visit our virtual volunteer platform page on Catchafire here: https://www.catchafire.org/organizations/tax-aid_13663/projects/

If you have additional questions, contact jill@tax-aid.org.

Here’s what a client had to say:

“I was referred to Tax-Aid when I realized I could not do my taxes alone this year. I had lost my home and all of my belongings in the Sonoma County fires. When I was doing my taxes I decided I needed to itemize for the first time in my life.

I got a call back immediately. It was already a few weeks until taxes were due, but Jill made me feel very relaxed and assured me it would be done by the due date. There were some technical difficulties, on my part, that were accommodated. If I forgot a bit of information Jill would contact me. This was made so easy for me!

 When I got my final papers, I was getting a substantial refund due to my losses. The forms were filed. As it turned out the IRS was missing one form. So I contacted Jill. The volunteer who had prepared my taxes immediately contacted me and also updated the new form I needed to accompany the missing form. I never would have been able to do it on my own. I was able to send it to the IRS and have now received my refund.

I am forever grateful to Tax-Aid, Jill, my tax preparer and all of the volunteers that work to help those of us who need it.

What an amazing service! Thank You So Much!” Lorayne