Meeting
Time:
VITA Tax Clinic Informational Meeting
Date:
12:00 pm –
1:00 pm
Virtual
Every year the VITA Tax Clinic prepares tax returns for the Lincoln community. This is a great way to earn Pro Bono credit as well, especially because VITA happens over earlier in the semester. Below is some additional information about VITA and for those that are interested, we will be holding a Zoom Meeting on Tuesday, January 26th to discuss VITA and address any questions you may have about how the program works!
Here is the Zoom link: https://unl.zoom.us/j/92295282127
What is VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance)?
VITA serves the Lincoln community by assisting its members in filing their tax returns to claim the full benefit of the tax credits intended for them. (i.e., low-income families, students, etc.) Last year, VITA produced over $3.25 million total refunds back into the local Lincoln community, and over $870,000 of just the (EITC) earned income tax credit. The IRS processed 2,000 PLUS returns from all the VITA sites located in Lincoln!
VITA experience can be a powerful line on your resumes regardless of the field you plan and entering. I have worked in various jobs, from a coffee barista to even different internal accounting jobs; however, VITA has taught me more about critical thinking and the real world of taxes than any other job.
What will you gain from the VITA experience?
Throughout this experience, you will gain a practical understanding of individual income tax, also learning how to interact with clients and colleagues in a professional setting. You even have the chance to work with nonresident returns learning about multiple tax treaties the US has with other countries! Through the University and college of business, you can also receive anywhere from 1-3 school credits for volunteering at these sites, which is offered in the upcoming spring 2021 semester. In the past, VITA has offered all physical sites for clients to meet me our tax volunteers and prepare their return right in front of them. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic, we will be using an all-virtual process for the first time for our tax year 2020.
The certification tests for 2020 are posted!
The certification materials can be picked up from the law school above the mailboxes. Take one of each booklet: IRS 4012 (VITA/TCE Volunteer Resource Guide) & IRS 6744 (VITA/TCE Volunteer Assistor’s Test/Retest).
In order to become a volunteer, there are a few different certifications you need to take! These tests will be available at the following Link and Learn website: www.linklearncertification.com/d/. If you have not done VITA before, you will need to set up an account, on the left-hand side of the website to complete your tests. Tax Preparers: Complete the Volunteer Standards of Conduct, Intake/Interview and Quality Review, and Advanced certifications, at a minimum. (The following links are IRS publications that will assist you in completing these tests: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4961.pdf , https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5101.pdf, and https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4491.pdf, respectively. If you are also interested in helping out with the International Student/Scholars and Nonresident returns for this tax year, please complete the Foreign Student Exam.
[When you take the Advanced certification test, there are some problems that require you to complete a tax return. To do this, Link and Learn has a Practice Lab that can be found on the right-hand side of the certification website: https://www.linklearncertification.com/d/. The password to the Practice Lab is TRAINPROWEB. After you type in the initial password, you will set up an account login that is separate from your certification test login.
Here is the Zoom link: https://unl.zoom.us/j/92295282127
What is VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance)?
VITA serves the Lincoln community by assisting its members in filing their tax returns to claim the full benefit of the tax credits intended for them. (i.e., low-income families, students, etc.) Last year, VITA produced over $3.25 million total refunds back into the local Lincoln community, and over $870,000 of just the (EITC) earned income tax credit. The IRS processed 2,000 PLUS returns from all the VITA sites located in Lincoln!
VITA experience can be a powerful line on your resumes regardless of the field you plan and entering. I have worked in various jobs, from a coffee barista to even different internal accounting jobs; however, VITA has taught me more about critical thinking and the real world of taxes than any other job.
What will you gain from the VITA experience?
Throughout this experience, you will gain a practical understanding of individual income tax, also learning how to interact with clients and colleagues in a professional setting. You even have the chance to work with nonresident returns learning about multiple tax treaties the US has with other countries! Through the University and college of business, you can also receive anywhere from 1-3 school credits for volunteering at these sites, which is offered in the upcoming spring 2021 semester. In the past, VITA has offered all physical sites for clients to meet me our tax volunteers and prepare their return right in front of them. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic, we will be using an all-virtual process for the first time for our tax year 2020.
The certification tests for 2020 are posted!
The certification materials can be picked up from the law school above the mailboxes. Take one of each booklet: IRS 4012 (VITA/TCE Volunteer Resource Guide) & IRS 6744 (VITA/TCE Volunteer Assistor’s Test/Retest).
In order to become a volunteer, there are a few different certifications you need to take! These tests will be available at the following Link and Learn website: www.linklearncertification.com/d/. If you have not done VITA before, you will need to set up an account, on the left-hand side of the website to complete your tests. Tax Preparers: Complete the Volunteer Standards of Conduct, Intake/Interview and Quality Review, and Advanced certifications, at a minimum. (The following links are IRS publications that will assist you in completing these tests: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4961.pdf , https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5101.pdf, and https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4491.pdf, respectively. If you are also interested in helping out with the International Student/Scholars and Nonresident returns for this tax year, please complete the Foreign Student Exam.
[When you take the Advanced certification test, there are some problems that require you to complete a tax return. To do this, Link and Learn has a Practice Lab that can be found on the right-hand side of the certification website: https://www.linklearncertification.com/d/. The password to the Practice Lab is TRAINPROWEB. After you type in the initial password, you will set up an account login that is separate from your certification test login.