Vita Tax Preparation Intern

Submitted by Karen Maish on Sun, 10/08/2017 - 1:40pm
Last updated by Tim Knuck on Tue, 06/30/2020 - 12:03pm

Tempe Community Council

Mission

Connecting Those in Need With Those Who Care more

Website

http://www.tempecommunitycouncil.orgContact(s):

About the Internship

Duties:

Intern will receive training to be an IRS qualified tax preparer. Qualification at Basic level is required but Advanced is highly desireable. The intern will then work at the Tempe Vita site at Gracie's Community Room on an agreed upon schedule. Interns will prepare taxes in cooperation with and under the direct supervision of the site coordinator. Interns will become certified tax preparers and will gain valuable on-the-ground experience in the field.

Population Served:

Low and medium income individuals and families from Tempe and the surrounding cities.

Community Need:

Last year the Tempe VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program provided tax preparation services to over 1,100 individuals and families at our supersite in Tempe. In addition, the Tempe Vita program conducted workshops in which over 350 international students from ASU were able to complete their non-resident, US tax returns. This program has been meeting this need in our community for over 15 years. We could serve even more clients in 2018 if we had additional interns.

Community Impact:

For the past 2 years, the Tempe Vita site has assisted our residents with tax return preparation resulting in over $2.6 in income tax refunds each year. This is money that is primarily reinvested in the local economy.

Location:

Gracies Community Room

1540 E Apache Blvd (to the north of the thift store on the same property. If coming by car, enter from Una Butte Ave.)

Tempe, , AZ 85281

See map: Google Maps

Special Requirements

Training required details

Interns may self study, attend classes or a combination of both. Students are expected to pass the IRS exams before volunteering for their first day.

Schedule Options

Semesters offered

SPRING (15 weeks; early-Jan to late April; 5–7.5 service hours/week)

Service Hours:

Afternoons

Evenings

Weekends

Available Days/Hours:

Study can be done at anytime. Actual tax prep hours are Wed and Thurs evenings from approximately 4 - 7 PM and Saturdays from approximately 8 AM - 2 PM. The season begins on February 1st and ends on April 15th. Some additional hours will be available from April 15th until April 30th to close the tax site. Interns will be able to select hours from all our open hours to fulfill their internship requirements.

Required/Desired Skills:

To volunteer as an intern, one must have an ability to study tax law independently or in a group class. The volunteer must be able to pass the IRS certification exams. Computer skills are essential. Advance knowledge of individual income tax law is helpful but not required. Volunteers must be able to travel to our site on Apache Boulevard in Tempe (approximately 3 miles from campus via the light rail.)