Tax season is quickly approaching and hopefully you will receive some of that hard earned cash back from the past year. Thankfully, MacDill Air Force Base offers FREE tax services for all active duty, retirees, spouses and dependents with proof of a valid military identification card. However, for these services to be available, we need volunteers!
Volunteer positions include receptionists, schedulers and tax preparers. Please see detailed descriptions of each position below. There is no need for prior accounting or tax knowledge because all necessary training will be provided. ALL volunteers must complete IRS training and certification for “standards of conduct” and tax preparers will additionally be certified by the IRS to prepare taxes. Classroom training is available at the below locations and times, or online training is available to be completed at your own pace.
Training Schedule: To sign up for a training, please email VITA@uwsuncoast.org.
Hillsborough Community College – Dale Mabry, Technology Building, Room 427, 4001 W Tampa Bay Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33614
Classes 8:30 am - 2:30 pm (Volunteers should attend one session each week for proficiency.)
November 3, 2017 November 18, 2017
November 4, 2017 December 1, 2017
November 17, 2017 December 2, 2017
Position Descriptions:
Receptionist: Greets clients, checks their appointment with the daily schedule, verifies ID and ensures intake paperwork is completed. Tracks all clients through the tax preparation and review process to ensure they are seen in the correct order according to the schedule. No computer skills are required.
Scheduler: Returns client calls and coordinates tax preparation scheduling. Calls are normally received during the work week. After the appointment is scheduled the scheduler sends an email to the client to verify appointment, provide directions to the campus and provide required paperwork to fill out. A phone and email account is provided. Volunteer works from home anytime they wish. This is a very busy position during the first part of the tax season. Volunteer must have organizational skills as well as being versed in Excel and email. Procedural training is provided.
Tax Preparer: Prepares taxes for clients. New volunteers will train at the basic level and prepare less complex returns. All returns are reviewed prior to submitting to the IRS. Computer skills are necessary as the software is web based. IRS training will include practical use of the software. Additional training on procedures and software will be provided in January.
Additional Information:
All tax appointments are scheduled. On rare occasions, walk-ins will be able to have their return prepared if there are open appointment times. Typical volunteer hours are 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. or 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., one or two days per week. A season schedule is built in January and tax preparation starts in February. Volunteer’s schedules can be adjusted as necessary with advanced coordination.
If you have questions, please contact Mr. Pete Ryner at pryner@verizon.net or on the program cellphone at 813-546-6217 and leave a message.