Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program Looking for Volunteer Tax Preparers

Training provided on line through IRS “Link and Learn” program to become a certified tax prepare to aid elderly and low to moderate income taxpayers unitedway_portercounty

The United Way Regional Volunteer Center is looking for volunteers to prepare taxes for elderly, and low to moderate income taxpayers for the 2010 Tax season said George Kuebler, VITA facilitator for Porter County, with the United Way Regional Volunteer Center.

Volunteer opportunities include offering tax preparation to qualifying people or serving as a greeter/intake person gathering initial information to begin the tax preparation process.

Volunteers have the opportunity to learn the tax preparation program and become certified on-line using the Internet. “The learning/certification program is interactive and it can be done with a home computer at your own pace. It doesn’t have to be completed in one sitting,” according to Kuebler.

There are several levels to the program starting with a basic course and include intermediate and advanced levels,” added Kuebler.

Actual tax preparation will be done from late January through the April tax deadline on computers provided with the appropriate IRS tax software at the United Way office in Valparaiso. The schedule has been set-up for three days a week and a few select Saturdays and volunteers can set their own schedule.

For more information about the program you can call George Kuebler at the United Way Regional Volunteer Center, 219 464-3583 x 128, or email at: george@unitedwaypc.org . More information about the program is available on the web at: www.nwivolunteer.org and click the VITA tab.