VITA Volunteer Newsletter

Week of December 6th, 2021

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

from the VITA staff!

Tax Updates

Tax Tip: Charitable Giving

Taxpayers may be able to deduct donations to tax-exempt organizations on their tax return. As people are deciding where to make their donations, the IRS has a tool that may help. Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) on IRS.gov is a tool that allows users to search for charities. TEOS provides information about an organization’s federal tax status and filings.

Here are some facts about the Tax Exempt Organization Search tool:

Donors can use it to confirm an organization is tax-exempt and eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions.
Users can find out if an organization had its tax-exempt status revoked. A common reason for revocation is when an organization does not file its Form 990-series return for three consecutive years.
TEOS does not list certain organizations that may be eligible to receive tax-deductible donations, including churches, organizations in a group ruling, and governmental entities.
Organizations are listed under the legal name or a “doing business as” name on file with the IRS. No separate listing of common or popular names is searchable.

Taxpayers can also use the interactive tax assistant, Can I Deduct my Charitable Contributions ? to help determine if a charitable contribution is deductible. They should get a written acknowledgement for any charitable contributions of $250 or more.

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:

VITALinks: https://unitedwaytucson.org/vita/links/ (still has many resources from last year - will be updated soon!)
4012 - VITA/TCE Resource Guide for 2021 Returns (digital copy)
6744 - Volunteer Assistor's Test/Retest for 2021 Returns (digital copy)
4491 - Volunteer Training Guide for 2021 (digital copy)
Recording - Welcome Back Session: if you missed the session on 11/15, meet the VITA staff and learn about tax updates

In-Person Vaccination Policy Update

Understanding that we are serving the public and some people may not be vaccinated, United Way strongly encourages everyone to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect themselves and others. We also must comply with our host sites’ requirements, so we have arrived at the following policy regarding vaccinations.

All VITA volunteers working at physical locations must have received the full COVID-19 vaccination regimen, including boosters, by the time they begin their first shift. Volunteers will need to show proof of vaccination to site coordinators at their site. To be clear, vaccination means obtaining shots approved by the FDA and recommended by the CDC. Those who are not fully vaccinated should choose to work from home. All volunteers at physical sites must wear masks at all times while indoors, except when taking a drink of a beverage.

We hope to help all volunteers find a site that works for them in light of this policy. Please use the Volunteer Intent Form to let us know your site preference if you haven't already, or to update your site preference: VITA Volunteer Intent Form

Please let us know if you have questions or concerns about this policy: VITA@unitedwaytucson.org

Publication Pick-Ups

Would you still like to pick up a hard copy of the 4012 or 6744? If you were unable to pick up materials last week, you are welcome to stop by the United Way office during business hours (8-4pm, M-F). Note that our offices are still closed to the general public; however, these materials will be available at the front desk. Masks are required at the United Way office, regardless of vaccination status.

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.

Addressing Affordable Housing

Since 2009, the population of Pima County has grown by 9.8% (95,970 individuals), and with slowing housing production, median rents are up 40% and home values have increased 60% since 2017. The Financial Wellness team and local partners have been following eviction prevention and affordable housing efforts closely. One aspect of that work includes providing feedback about the City of Tucson's Housing Affordability Strategy for Tucson plan, which outlines specific actions to support the preservation and construction of new housing units to meet the growing need for affordable options. Learn more about our Financial Wellness work on our website.

A Century of Work continues at United Way

"A century of service at United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona has taught us many things and one of the most critical is that this work is too important to do alone – we must take a united approach. This year, your United Way served 231,721 individuals which is one in every five members of our community, and we are committed to doubling our impact by serving 360,000 individuals annually by 2023."

Read more in this opinion piece by our President and CEO Tony Penn: A Century of Work Continues at United Way