Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
VITA Volunteers
Volunteer Today
NeighborWorks Umpqua partners with the IRS to offer our free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) services in Roseburg and North Bend.
The VITA program offers free tax help to people with limited income, persons with disabilities, and limited English-speaking taxpayers.
Benefits of Becoming a VITA Volunteer
For over 50 years, volunteers have prepared tax returns in communities across the country. Each year, thousands of volunteers prepare millions of tax returns through the VITA.
Learn new skills, acquire tax knowledge, and help customers prepare their taxes.
How do I become a volunteer?
No experience is needed to volunteer, and NeighborWorks Umpqua will provide 40 hours of online self-paced training. After passing the IRS exams to be a volunteer preparer, volunteers will work as a team to prepare and file taxes for interested individuals. All of our volunteers must pass yearly exams on ethics, confidentiality, and the most common personal income tax issues. In addition to training, the minimum time commitment to volunteer as a tax preparer is 40 hours from mid-February to April 15. Returns are prepared electronically with error checking software and quality reviewed by a second preparer. An accurate return is our top priority.
Who can help?
There are many available volunteer roles:
- Greeters to help screen taxpayers to determine the type of assistance they need.
- Interpreters to provide language services in Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Korean.
- Tax preparers to use electronic filing software to complete tax returns.
- Tax coaches, at some sites, encourage taxpayers to prepare their own tax returns and help them through the process.
There is a spot for everyone who wants to help.
Why do we offer free tax preparation services?
We provide an opportunity to assist those that are most likely to overlook their tax credit eligibility such as those who do not speak English, the elderly, those experiencing a disability.
Tax credits often include the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). According to the Oregon Center for Public Policy, when Oregon has low EITC participation, its economy suffers. The EITC adds dollars to the Oregon economy by giving working people more money to spend.
Historically, EITC participation has been in the 70-percentile range, which translates to over $100M in loss of economic activity in the state. NeighborWorks Umpqua hopes to increase the number of participants in the EITC by helping individuals file their taxes.
The Earned Income Tax Credit — Keep More of Your Earnings
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a measure designed to support anyone earning wages through a tax refund. This works by returning a portion of the federal taxes qualifying workers and families paid into the system.
Become a Volunteer
Phone: 541-673-4909
Learn more about becoming a certified Volunteer Income Tax Assistant
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