| Devils Lake Journal
NORTH DAKOTA – Today the Internal Revenue Service thanks North Dakota Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) volunteers for a successful 2021 tax return season in North Dakota.
Every year hundreds of people volunteer to help other taxpayers file their taxes, find out about available tax breaks, and other important tax aids. The 2021 registration season looked a little different from previous years due to the pandemic and short-term tax law changes, but the VITA and TCE volunteers still successfully helped thousands of North Dakotans.
Volunteers created 3,612 electronically filed declarations, resulting in an average refund of $ 1,490 to North Dakota residents. Many underserved North Dakota residents have received $ 1,015,963 in income tax credits.
These long-term programs offer valuable assistance to American taxpayers:
Voluntary Income Tax Assistance offers free tax returns for eligible taxpayers typically earning $ 57,000 or less, people with disabilities, and limited English speaking taxpayers.
Tax advice for seniors is mainly aimed at people aged 60 and over. Although the program focuses on tax issues that only apply to seniors, most taxpayers can usually get free assistance. AARP participates in the TCE program through AARP Tax-Aide.
IRS volunteers provide free tax preparation in communities across the country. While it may seem like a distant future, people who want to volunteer in 2022 can start acting now. The IRS encourages anyone interested in becoming an IRS Certified Tax Volunteer to visit the sign up page or contact Claudia Diaz, IRS Relationship Manager for North Dakota at [email protected].
There are many volunteer roles available:
Greeters are designed to help taxpayers determine the type of assistance they need.
Interpreters for the provision of language services.
Tax preparers who use electronic filing software to fill out tax returns.
Tax advisors in some locations to encourage taxpayers to prepare their own tax returns and help them through the process.
Here are the reasons people become an IRS certified VITA or TCE tax volunteer:
Flexible working hours. The volunteers work an average of three to five hours a week. The programs are typically open from mid to late January through the April tax return filing deadline. Some locations are even open all year round.
VITA and TCE locations are often nearby. Thousands of websites are launched in neighborhoods across the country every year. These free tax help pages are located in places like community centers, libraries, schools, and shopping malls.
No previous knowledge required. Volunteers receive specialized training and often serve in a variety of roles. VITA and TCE programs are looking for volunteers of all backgrounds and ages. You also want people who are fluent in other languages.
Free tax law training and materials. Volunteers receive training materials free of charge. The training in tax law includes the electronic preparation of basic federal tax returns. The training also covers tax topics such as deductions and credits.
Education credits for tax professionals. Registered agents and non-certified tax return writers can acquire advanced training points in PDF format if they volunteer as VITA / TCE teachers, quality auditors or tax return writers.