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:

IRS/Federal Publications – It’s highly recommend that you download/bookmark these IRS materials and refer to them when working on your certification exams:

1. Review the directions for Certifications, Link & Learn and Practice Lab
   • https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/vta-2021-01-final.pdf  Certification FAQ – includes some cautionary notes regarding tax law scenarios
   • Volunteer Alerts, VTA 2021-01 – Correction to Certification material Form 6744 
   • Volunteer Alert, VTA 2021-02 – Correction to Certification material Form 6744 
   • https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5379.pdf  Link and Learn directions
   • https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5377.pdf   Practice Lab FAQ sheet 
2. The following resource guides will assist you in the practice lab and certification
   •  IRS Pub 4012 – Volunteer Resource Guide (PDF)
   •  IRS Pub 4491 – Volunteer Training Guide (PDF)   
   •  IRS Pub 6744 – Volunteer Test/Retest (PDF) – test booklet. See above (VTA 2021-01 / VTA 2021-02).
   •  IRS Pub 4491-X (PDF) Volunteer Training Guide Supplement
   •  IRS Pub 17 – Tax Guide (PDF)Other IRS/Federal Publications:
   • Pub 5157A Affordable Care Act (ACA) Scenarios (PDF)
   • VITA Tax Return Quality Review Job Aid (PDF)
3. You may access the practice lab and certification from this link.  You will need to create a personal login and password
   • Access Certification and practice lab (pw:  TRAINPROWEB)
   • Link and Learn – VITA/TCE Central – Certification  
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.