If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please fill out the interest form. We will reach out to you with further information.
VITA at UCI offers complimentary tax filing services to the community, ensuring not just cost-free, but also high-quality and reliable tax preparation. By volunteering with VITA at UCI, you have the opportunity to assist individuals in filing their taxes, helping them retain more of their hard-earned income.
All VITA volunteers are required to complete tax law training and pass certification tests that satisfy the IRS standards. This training includes the crucial aspect of preserving the privacy and confidentiality of all client data. Besides having volunteers demonstrate their tax law competence through tests, the IRS requires a quality review process for each tax return prepared by volunteers before it’s filed. After acquiring certification, volunteers gain the credentials to both prepare and assess tax returns. Volunteers are offered free training provided by the IRS and OC United Way.
Why Volunteer
You can…
- Learn important tax knowledge that helps you grow professionally, and become certified by the IRS.
- Gain hands-on experiences by working directly with clients, which lets you use your skills in real-world situations.
- Give back to the community, making a positive impact with what you’ve learned.
- Meet and make friends with other volunteers, sharing experiences and supporting each other.
- Enhance your resume with concrete tax preparation experience, showcasing your practical skills and commitment to community service.
Steps to Volunteer
Interest Form
Sign up through our interest form to receive updates on tax volunteer opportunities.
Training (November, December, January)
Free tax law training is provided by our partners, the IRS and Orange Country United Way. The training will cover basic and advanced tax law that helps you learn to file taxes. You are required to pass the IRS certification test. In-person and online training options are available. See Update on Tax Volunteer Training (2023-24) for details.
Certification (by Jan 16, 2024)
After completing your training, proceed to take the online certification tests at linklearntaxescertification.com. The tests are open-book and not timed. You are permitted two attempts for each test and must achieve a score of 80% or higher to pass.
All volunteers are required to take the Volunteer Standards of Conduct Exam and the Intake/Interview and Quality Review Exam. Then, volunteers can choose to take the Basic or Advanced Exam. Additionally, volunteers are encouraged to take the Foreign Student Exam, if they want to prepare international students’ tax returns.
Glide App Registration
Volunteers use Glide App to upload their Form 13615 (Volunteer Agreement), sign up for volunteer time slots, and track their volunteer hours.
To register, use the Glide App Registration Form. We encourage you to use your UCI email. If you use your personal email, please let us know through the contact form.
Upload Form 13615 Volunteer Agreement (by Jan 16, 2024)
Once you pass the certification exams, please upload your Form 13615 Volunteer Agreement on the Glide App.
Form 13615 can be downloaded from linklearntaxescertification.com. On the right side, click the box to sign the form, and there’ll be a link to access your form. The form is automatically generated with your certification information and you do not need to fill in anything.
To upload the form, visit unitedwayscalifornia.glideapp.io, upload the form in “My Profile” Tab – “Update my Info” – “Attachments”, and press “Save Attachments”.
If you are not able to finish the certification process by Jan 16 but still want to volunteer, please contact us.
Volunteer Time Slots
Note: time slots haven’t been published. We will notify you through email when they become available.
Sign up your time slots on the Glide App. Our time slots are generally on every Saturdays from Feb 03 to Apr 06, 2024.
Please only sign up for time slots after you have completed your certification exams. Please only sign up for timeslots that you can commit to show up. If you need to cancel, please cancel 3 days in advance.
On the Tax Day
Our tax site is located at SB2 111 (School of Business 2).
When you come to the volunteer site for the first time, make sure to bring a physical copy of your Form 13615 and a valid government-issued ID (including driver’s license, state ID, Military ID, national ID, visa, Global Entry ID, passport, etc.).
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