By Kimetha Hill
Staff Writer
The 2013 tax season is quickly approaching and for many, it can be a stressful time. But once again, the Alliance for African Assistance has created an initiative to help those in need of assistance in filing their taxes. The initiative, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, aims to recruit dedicated individuals desiring to volunteer their time to assist individuals and families filing their tax returns.
The program will host two separate trainings, on Tuesday January 28 from 5 – 8 p.m. and Thursday, January 30 from 5 – 8 p.m., both of which will be held at the office of the Alliance for African Assistance.
These will be in-depth trainings which will provide volunteers with the skills and pertinent knowledge pertaining to Tax Law questions. In addition, volunteers will learn how to navigate Tax Wise software – software that is critical to successful income tax preparation.
Alliance urges that in order to participate in this volunteer program, individuals must already be certified preparers. Also, in order to receive tax certification, volunteers must be able to successfully navigate the Tax Wise system and arrive at correct answers to a few practice problems. The IRS suggests for all new and returning volunteers to attend both training sessions in order to be prepared for certification.
Please contact Alliance’s office promptly if you plan to attend the volunteer sessions. If you cannot attend the dates and times provided, you may schedule a day and time that works within your schedule. This is an excellent opportunity to give back to the community, while promoting economic equality. Please contact the Alliance for African Assistance at (619) 286-9052 for more information and to register to volunteer.
