Valet VITA Toolkit

Thanks for your interest in Valet VITA!

United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona developed Valet VITA and piloted it in 2014. This toolkit is the result of five years of learning and was created so that VITA programs in other areas could apply that learning to their own implementation of a virtual model. We hope you find this toolkit useful and ask that you share your successes, suggestions, and comments with us! Contact us at [email protected].

Download or view the Valet VITA Toolkit

Download a print version of the Valet VITA Toolkit. Pages are split in this version, so print as a booklet for the best format.

View an interactive, online version of the Valet VITA Toolkit.

Changes in response to COVID-19

View the suggested revised process for fully virtual, remote services in response to COVID-19. Document request and upload occurs through Zendesk.

View Publication 5408 - new IRS guidance regarding virtual VITA for the 2020 tax season.

Materials mentioned in the Valet VITA Toolkit that help create a successful Valet VITA program

Now Available: The Volunteer Handbook is helpful for training as well as a resource Volunteers and Staff can use throughout the tax season. 

The Valet VITA Cover Sheet guides the Interview Specialists through the appointment with the taxpayer to retain as much information as possible to complete the tax return in a timely manner. 

The Valet VITA Questionnaire guides the Interview Specialists through more complex tax return situations based on information they learn from the taxpayer. 

Give taxpayers their next steps, VITA contact information, and e-sign password with this handy half-sheet. Corrected version uploaded 11/8/19.

If your taxpayer opts to receive their tax return through a secure DocuSign email, here are some email message templates for different scenarios. 

To create a Valet VITA program, there must be a Virtual VITA Plan submitted to the IRS. Click here for an example of an accepted Virtual VITA Plan. 

Additional resources mentioned in the Valet VITA Toolkit

Toolkit tutorial videos to learn about Zapier and Zendesk:

  • Zapier tutorial - Watch for a step-by-step walk-through of setting up Zapier app automation for your Valet VITA process.
  • Zendesk tutorial #1 - Watch for a step-by-step walk-through of setting up ticket fields in Zendesk for the organization of tax returns in the Valet VITA process.
  • Zendesk tutorial #2 - Watch for a step-by-step walk-through of setting up ticket views in Zendesk to categorize tax return statuses in the Valet VITA process. 
  • Zendesk tutorial #3 - Watch for a step-by-step walk-through of setting up macros in Zendesk that automate communication with taxpayers in the Valet VITA process. 
  • Zendesk tutorial #4 - Watch for a step-by-step walk-through of setting up triggers and taxpayer contact information in Zendesk to automate communication with taxpayers in the Valet VITA process.

United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona website

Updated resource links for volunteers as they work on tax returns throughout the VITA season. 

Zendesk offers a variety of tutorials and help guides for using their product. Click here to get an idea of their help guides that are more about the software, and less about specific use for tax returns than our Toolkit's tutorials.

UPDATED VERSION COMING SOON! Use this code within Google Drive to automatically delete tax document uploads on a regular basis. This is best handled by your program's IT department. 

 

 

All materials were created by United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona.