Spring 2010 VITA Information and Enrollment

Vita enrollment is for Spring only.

Professor Barbara Blanco, Barbara.Blanco@lls.edu

Administrative Assistant Camille Toomer, Camille.Toomer@lls.edu

Spring 2010 VITA Information and Enrollment

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is a tax return preparation course Loyola runs in conjunction with the Internal Revenue Service and a non-profit agency known as AIM. Returns are usually prepared for students, elderly taxpayers and working taxpayers who would otherwise have to pay private services up to $65 or more for tax preparation services. The basic features of the one unit course are:

 

  • The course is a one-unit externship course;

 

  • Completion of the course automatically satisfies the pro bono  requirement for 2D or 3E students;

 

  • ENROLLMENT PREFERENCE: There will be room in the course for 125 first time takers, first come first served. Preference in enrollment is given to 2D and 3E students. There is room in the course for 10 second time takers who must agree to perform as site supervisors. The course number for first time takers is 5N3-1.  Enroll as you would for any other class.

 

  • SITE SUPERVISORS: We are looking for site supervisors who completed the course last year and would like to serve as site supervisors this year. The only way to repeat the course is to serve as a site supervisor. Contact Camille.toomer@lls.edu if you would like to be a site supervisor. She is the only person who can provide you with a course number for enrollment. Site supervisors are only needed at the Loyola Law School site on Sundays.

 

  • MANDATORY CLASS MEETING: All students, including second time site supervisors, must attend a mandatory training class on Saturday, January 23, 2010 from 10 am to 2 pm in Donovan Hall. Don’t enroll in the course if you can’t attend the training class (please contact Professor Blanco (Barbara.blanco@lls.edu) if you cannot attend the training class for religious reasons). The meeting will address course requirements and IRS personnel will walk all students through the TaxWise software and explain the “packaging” requirements for doing proper client intake and preparing the returns.

 

  • PICK UP YOUR TRAINING MATERIALS IN GRAPHICS BY DEC. 1:  Your IRS training materials will refer you to their “Link and Learn” training web site. You must complete your training course, print out your certifications of completion and bring them to the class on Jan 23 where they will be collected. First time students must complete the Basic and Intermediate portion of the training (Parts I and II). Second time takers must also complete parts I and II.

 

  • TAXWISE SOFTWARE: The IRS materials should also reference you to a site where you can begin to become familiar with the TaxWise software that you will be using for tax preparation services. The more familiar you become with the software, the more understandable the IRS training session will be at the mandatory meeting. We may be able to provide you with sample software; if we can do so, it will be included with the materials you pick up in the Graphics Department.

 

  • SERVICE DELIVERY DATES AND LOCATIONS: Each student must provide 25 hours of tax preparation services. Loyola students will staff two sites: one on Saturdays from 10 am to 3 pm at the Inglewood Library. The second site will be at Loyola on Sundays from 10 am to 3 pm. Both sites will probably begin offering services on the first or second weekend in February, but exact information will be available at the mandatory training meeting. We will also announce opportunities to provide services all day at the Inglewood Tax Day and the Los Angeles Tax Day.

 

  • NO HALF OR PART TIME SESSIONS: You must be prepared to stay for the entire session when you are providing services.

 

  • SIGN UPS FOR SERVICES: Signups will be online through TWEN. The procedure for site signups will be addressed at the mandatory meeting. You may not sign up for a service shift unless your training certifications have been turned in at the mandatory training meeting or to the Externship Office, Founders Hall 240.

 

  • NO SIGNUP CANCELLATIONS: Sign up carefully! We need to rely on you to be in attendance to assist taxpayers who will also rely on you to be there. We might let you cancel if you have Swine Flu, but not for much else.

 

  • TIME SHEETS: All students will be provided with time sheets to verify service hours. All time sheets are due in the Externship Office no later than April 30, 2010 to complete the course.

 

  • SITES OTHER THAN LOYOLA SPONSORED SITES:  If you are able to find a VITA preparation site other than the sites provided by Loyola, and if the site agrees to accept you as a TaxWise certified preparer, you are welcome to provide your services hours at a site that you locate. We will try to provide you with a reference sheet for VITA sites that may be more convenient for you.

 

  • INVOLUNTARY WITHDRAWAL FROM VITA: If you fail to attend the mandatory training or if you fail to submit your certification of TaxWise course completion at the training class on Jan. 23, you agree that you may be involuntarily withdrawn from the VITA course for the one unit of credit.

 

  • NO BONUS HOURS THIS YEAR:  In some past years, we have allowed bonus hours. No bonus hours are available this year. Each student must complete 25 service hours to receive credit for the course.

 

 

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