|
VITA @ Milpitas Public Library
(formerly known as VITA Milpitas Community Library)
This site has a dedicated group of
experienced volunteers many of whom come back year after year. It operates in
the auditorium of a new facility. Hours are 10:00 am - 2:00pm
Saturdays during the Tax season, and depending on the number of active
volunteers may operate with expanded hours. Volunteers need to be prepared
to come from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm to help set up and clean up. Taxpayers come here with challenging
returns the very first day of the season, and volunteers must be prepared to
work independently the very first day.
We have a strong team of volunteers who are proficient with computers and
computer networking.
We are seeking Spanish speaking
volunteers because of the number of Spanish speaking taxpayers we had to turn
away. While it is preferable to have certified Spanish speaking tax
preparers, those wishing to act as translators are also welcome if you are not
certified to prepare taxes but still would like to participate.
In this past year, we turned away
many taxpayers because of our lack of knowledge or experience in some areas
including NR returns, determination of residency status for part-year and
non-resident Ca state returns, international students, and people without
Taxpayer Identification Numbers which required a W-7 to be filed. If there
are any volunteers expert in one or more of these areas, we will offer those
services. At the same time, if volunteers desire to become expert in one
or more of these areas, we can certainly look into additional training. We break new ground by moving
slowly beyond the limits of our training, and as a result, some volunteers have
become comfortable preparing 1040X Amended returns, and Schedule C forms.
Since the site is busiest
during the first 4 weeks of the season just as we are starting up, it is essential that volunteers commit
to being present regularly during the 4 Saturdays in February. There is a
certain growth rate in the knowledge and experience of new volunteers that can
be sustained only by regular attendance during that time.
While most volunteers are familiar
with computers, experienced tax preparers with little or no computer background
are welcome and valuable in the role of Designated Reviewer or mentoring new
Volunteer Tax Preparers.
Requirements for new volunteers:
- Must have filed Federal Income Tax and Ca State returns of their own
- Must be familiar with Microsoft Windows XP, and internet
browsers
- Must be able to fill a California W-2 correctly
- Willingness and ability to search for and find answers to problems
The site
uses TaxWise Desktop version because we do not have an internet connection with
required bandwidth to use TaxWise Online. Volunteers need to be familiar
with TaxWise Desktop, and how to backup and restore tax returns. They need
to be familiar with wireless networking and using laptops.
|
