VITA Volunteer Training Schedule

Get Involved With VITA!

Thank you for your interest in serving as a VITA volunteer in the spring of 2020! Whether you want to help people prepare their taxes, manage the front of house at our community sites, or help people using Valet VITA with their intake interviews, you'll play a critical role in our ability to deliver a valuable service to our clients. 

We offer trainings throughout the month of January in an effort to accommodate everyone's schedules and interests. Please make a note of session descriptions, and sign up only for those which you plan to attend, based on the roles in which you'd like to serve this coming season.

NEW: Open Lab for VITA Volunteers!

Join us for an Open Lab where you can drop by our office any time between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. the evening of January 25. We can help you work through tricky exam scenarios, check your answers before submitting them through the online certificaiton portal, or anything else you need help with! 

  • Register here for the Open Lab on Monday, January 25 at 5:00 p.m.

NEW: Special Tax Topics Trainings

Special tax topics trainings provide VITA volunteers with a deeper dive into unique tax situations they will likely encounter in the field. Time spent understanding the tax laws, documentation and preparation processes that apply pays off when you serve that first taxpayer with a Schedule C, Health Savings Account, or Property Tax Credit!

  • Register here for the training on Schedule C's and Health Savings Accounts on Tuesday, January 21 at 5:00 p.m.
  • Register here for the training on education tax credits and expenses on Thursday, January 23 at 5:00 p.m.
  • Register here for the training on Arizona state tax credits and exemptions on Wednedsay, January 29 at 5:00 p.m.

All special tax topcis trainings take place at United Way's office at 330 N Commerce Park Loop, Suite 200.

First-Time Tax Preparer Training

This training is best-suited for first-time VITA tax preparers and returning tax preparers who would like an in-depth review of tax law and the Tax Slayer software. For your convenience, we are offering multiple trainings, all of which cover the same content. All first-time tax preparers should register for one of these courses.

  • Register here for the track that takes place on Saturdays at Pima Community College's Downtown Campus January 4-25. This track is four sessions of six hours each (8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.). You should be present for each session to be best-prepared for the IRS certification exam. 
  • Register here for the track that takes place on Saturdays at Pima Community College's Northwest Campus from January 4-25. This track is four sessions of six hours each (8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.). You should be present for each session to be best-prepared for the IRS certification exam.
  • Register here for the track that takes place Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at Pima Community College's Downtown Campus from January 6-8 and 13-15. This track is six sessions of four hours each (5:00 - 9:00 p.m.). You should be present for each session to be best-prepared for the IRS certification exam.

Front of House Manager and Interview Specialist Training

This training is for anyone interested in serving at one of our neighborhood sites as a greeter/interview specialist, or in serving with our mobile Valet VITA program. We are offering multiple trainings, all of which cover the same content. Anyone wishing to serve as a greeter/interview specialist this season should sign up for one of these trainings.

  • Register here for the training on Monday, January 6, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.
  • Register here for the training on Tuesday, January 7, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
  • Register here for the training Saturday, January 11, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
  • Register here for the training Thursday, January 16, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Quality Reviewer Training

This training is for new and returning quality reviewers as well as any tax preparers interested in learning about the quality review process. We are offering two trainings, both of which cover the same content.

  • Register here for the training on Tuesday, January 14, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
  • Register here for the training on Thursday, January 16, from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

Refresher Training

If you are a returning tax preparer, we recommend our Refresher training to learn software updates and receive tax law updates that will be relevant to you as you help taxpayers this season.

  • Register here for the refresher training on Saturday, January 11, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
  • Register here for the refresher training on Saturday, January 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

More trainings to come!

This year, we will be hosting additional training on special tax topics like Schedule Cs and Health Savings Accounts, Education Expenses and Credits, and Arizona State Taxes and Credits. As in past years, we will also be hosting an open lab for volunteers interested in working on ther certification collaboratively with the support of United Way staff.

Keep an eye out for an invitation to register for these trainings as we move toward the end of the year!