VITA Volunteer Newsletter


Week of February 4th, 2022

Your weekly resource for tax tips, important dates, and other news of note

from the VITA staff!

Tax Updates

Let the Games Begin!

Happy VITA Season volunteers! The Olympics are starting, and so are our Tax Olympics (which happen every year, not only every four). As of yesterday, about 100 appointments have been set for in-person and Valet taxes, with more coming through every day. We expect virtual submissions to start picking up soon too.


Some notes for this week...

TaxSlayer Access

  • TaxSlayer Login: Once you upload your 13615 form, we can process your TaxSlayer credentials. If you uploaded but have not yet received your login, you will receive it before your site opens.


Volunteers Needed

  • Health and schedule changes have meant that many volunteers who planned to volunteer in-person no longer can. If you are interested and able to volunteer at an in-person site, your assistance would be much appreciated! Complete this form with your updated interest and we will follow up with you - In-Person Volunteer Interest - or email vita@unitedwaytucson.org


In-Person Schedules

  • Schedule Changes: For Site Coordinators, if you need to change appointment availability (ex. days, hours, or number of appointments available), please contact Alex Casper acasper@unitedwaytucson.org. Alex is maintaining the Calendly pages for all in-person locations.


Virtual Volunteers

  • Virtual Volunteer Kickoff: We appreciate everyone's patience as we get things rolling this year! Save the date for a meeting on Thursday, February 10th at 2pm to discuss structure, updates, and answer any questions you may have - an invite with the Zoom link will be sent to all remote volunteers soon. The meeting will be recorded for those who are unable to attend.
  • Hub Logins: If you volunteered in the Hub last year, please try using last years email and password. If you don't remember your password, you will need to reset it and an email should come to your inbox or junk folder. New volunteers and Hub users should have received an invitation at this point.
  • Ticket Assignments: Tickets have been coming in slowly, but we’re expecting to see more come in as the season progresses! In the meantime, if you can access the Hub, please review the Hub Guide 2022 on VITALinks for updates about working on tickets. Two changes this year: 1) All Intake Interviews will be conducted by the Intake Specialist. We are working on getting Intake Specialists an updated interview guide. 2) We will not be doing out-of-state tickets - all of those will be transferred to other local partners.
  • Questions and Assistance: For any issues related to setting up Hub accounts or working remotely, please contact Robert - rgallagher@unitedwaytucson.org


New Guides and Documents

Find all these documents on the VITALinks page - all are under 'General Volunteer Resources.' Most are downloadable as Word docs so that you can add your own notes: https://unitedwaytucson.org/vita/links/

  • Volunteer Handbook 2022: Handy information about how to log into various sites, troubleshooting tips, and additional programs such as the CFR card to support taxpayers. This is a Word document so you can download your own copy and add notes.
  • Taxpayer Interview Guide -Tax Year 2021: Script for tax preparers to follow as they conduct interview calls with taxpayers; this is a Word document that you will fill out as you go. Tax Preparers will upload completed copies to the Hub for Quality Reviewers to reference in their work. 
  • Hub Guide 2022: Remote volunteers using the Hub can use this guidance when selecting tickets to work on and passing them on.
  • Valet VITA Intake Specialist Checklist - Tax Year 2021: Reference tool to for Valet intake volunteers to ensure that all documents are included and all steps are followed.
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Calendar


Thursday 2/10

Virtual Volunteer Kickoff

Zoom invite/link coming soon



In-Person Opening Days


(Note that sites may still shift initial opening days or plans due to Omicron/COVID and staffing. You will hear from your site coordinator if a change affects you.)


Tuesday 2/1

PCC 29th Street Campus


Thursday 2/3

Literacy Connects


Saturday 2/5

City of Tucson Ward 3

Goodwill Job Connection

Quincie Douglas


Tuesday 2/8

El Pueblo Neighborhood Center


Saturday 2/12

Interfaith Community Services

Volunteer Resources


VITALinks has long been our primary webpage for volunteer tax resources - it's your one-stop reference for tax preparation guides and tools. Resources will be added to VITALinks as the tax season gets going - check out the following links in the meantime:


Note for Remote Volunteers


Do you have everything you need to ensure a productive volunteer experience? Your VITA Team wants to set you up for success, so we are offering equipment rentals for remote volunteers. Please use this link to order the necessary equipment such as laptops, headsets, monitors or hotspots: https://forms.office.com/r/dBceGyWERV   


Once complete you will be given a link to schedule an appointment to pick up. Pickup hours are on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10am – 3pm. If this window doesn't work, please make a note and we will respond in a timely manner to make other arrangements.

United Way of Tucson Updates

United Way of Tucson is working to build a thriving community by uniting people, ideas, and resources. We envision a community where every child receives a high-quality education from birth to career, every adult has the opportunity to thrive financially and in the workplace and every older person can retire and age with dignity and independence. From birth to career, career to retirement, and retirement to end of life, United Way supports the well-being and success of every person in Southern Arizona.

Promoting VITA

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Through United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, households earning up to $73,000 annually can access free, quality tax preparation from IRS-certified preparers. Support is available in three ways in 2022: online through GetYourRefund, DIY self-prep, and in-person appointments. Appointment booking is required for in-person sites and can be scheduled at unitedwaytucson.org/vita.


All in-person and Valet VITA Tax Preparers will be fully vaccinated, including boosters and will be masked. All taxpayers must show proof of vaccination and be masked at all times during any in-person meeting. If taxpayer can’t show proof of vaccination, we encourage them to use the GetYourRefund online service.


  • Learn more about VITA options for 2022, including in-person locations and how to book an appointment: 2022 VITA Webpage


  • Help spread the word: access the electronic version of the 2022 VITA Flyer

Questions, comments, or feedback?

Contact the VITA team:


vita@unitedwaytucson.org

https://unitedwaytucson.org/vita/

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