I have always prepared paper returns, and am not familiar with E-Filing; can you use my services ?

Certainly!  Not all Tax Preparers are familiar with or trained in TaxWise.  Many experienced VITA volunteers are very productive and comfortable filling paper returns by hand, and many TaxPayers are not comfortable filing electronically.  However, as computers become so pervasive in everyday life, and tax laws become more complex, it is harder and harder to prepare any except the very simplest returns on paper.

Remember that information from paper returns are entered into the computer by the IRS, and that errors could occur in the data entry process.  Returns transmitted electronically are checked by the IRS computers for consistency, and any errors can be quickly resolved.  Refunds are also received faster for electronic filing.

Any errors found on the E-File gets bounced back to the transmitting EFIN computer; the transmitter must then contact the Taxpayer to resolve the issue and send the corrected E-File, or have the Taxpayer send a corrected paper return.  This is an issue that a hand prepared return does not have to deal with.

There is another duty that you could perform, and that is to review computer prepared returns for accuracy in entering the data in the right places.