VITA Tax Program Assistant

Primary Role:

The VITA Tax Program Assistant is a knowledgeable and experienced tax preparer who assists the VITA Program Manager in the total operation of the VITA Program, ensuring compliance in keeping with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations and agency policies to provide support to individuals and families. The program works to help individuals and families connect with valuable credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, etc., and free tax preparation.

Reports to:

VITA Tax Program Manager, with guidance from the Director of Agency Operations, and Executive Director

Essential Responsibilities

Prepare and submit tax returns for clients.

Schedule clients’ appointments.
Advise clients about the tax preparation process.
Assist clients with IRS communications.
Audit all tax forms for completeness, accuracy and electronic acceptance.
Assist with volunteer recruitment.
Coordinate volunteer recognition tools for volunteers.
Provide tax preparation assistance to tax sites when applicable.
Assist with error resolution, tax preparations, e-filing, contacting taxpayers, and responding to tax questions.
Maintain tax resources and distribute to individuals and tax sites, when applicable.
Maintain volunteer database, ensuring certifications are complete before distributing software access information.
Provide guidance to volunteer seeking training resources.
Perform other duties as requested by management.

Experience/Certifications:

Possess a bachelor’s or associate degree in accounting or business administration.
Previous experience with tax preparation preferred.
Certified or ability to become an IRS-certified tax preparer.

Key Competencies:

Ability to multi-task, including strong organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks, and the ability to meet deadlines.
Exceptional interpersonal skills, including developing relationships with organizations and individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Strong focus on detail and accuracy; deadline oriented.
Ability to work effectively in a team environment and build strong working relationships.
Demonstrated experience in effective communication - both written and verbally.
Demonstrated ability to work and function with confidential information and data.
Proven comfort level with learning new software applications and systems as necessary.
Proficient with Microsoft Office, tax software, volunteer tracking and appointment platforms.
Ability to process tax returns in a virtual environment (includes scanning and uploading/downloading documents).