Volunteers provide free tax help for low-income working families and seniors in Ohio

CLEVELAND — The Internal Revenue Service is seeking new and returning volunteers to help low-income working families and seniors in Greater Cleveland and elsewhere prepare and file their federal income taxes during the 2014 tax return filing season.

Through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs, volunteers receive specialized training for duties as tax preparers, quality reviewers, interpreters, greeters, and more. Upon successful completion of their training, volunteers receive IRS certification and are eligible to participate in a VITA/TCE program supporting people in their local community.

No prior tax return experience is required to participate. Return volunteers are welcome. Since tax laws vary from year to year, returning volunteers must undergo annual training and recertification.  The training and certification process generally takes 16-20 hours for both new and returning volunteers. Most volunteer training occurs in November and December, so that volunteers are ready and able to provide free tax help from mid-January to mid-April.

During the 2013 tax filing season, the IRS partnered with the Cuyahoga EITC Coalition and other area organizations to support 35 VITA sites in Cuyahoga County. About 350 volunteers prepared and filed more than 8,650 tax returns, providing more than $12.9 million in federal tax refunds back into the local community.

To learn more about becoming a volunteer, complete and email IRS Form 14310 VITA/TCE Volunteer Sign Up or email TaxVolunteer@irs.gov. Additional information on the VITA and TCE programs can be found on the IRS website at www.IRS.gov.