Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Intern

BACKGROUND: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. At work in over 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities to restore safety, dignity and hope, the IRC leads the way from harm to home. The IRC in Richmond opened its doors in October 2015 to give refugee families the tools they need to take control over their new lives in the greater Richmond area, assisting them toward self-sufficiency, self-reliance, and community integration. 

SCOPE OF INTERN WORK: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs run in partnership with the IRS. With volunteers trained through an IRS/IRC partnership, this service provides families with a high-quality return that offers quick-turnaround tax refunds at no cost. In 2021, this program reached low-income families in more than a half-dozen states, helping these hard-working families receive more than $4.5 million in refunds and tax credits. Under the supervision of the VITA Site Coordinator, Volunteer Tax Preparers and Quality Reviewers will provide free, professional tax preparation services for low-income clients through IRC’s National Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.  

Major Responsibilities: 

• Conduct outreach for VITA program 

• Complete the IRS Link and Learn tax training at the Advanced level as well as the Site Coordinator Training; 

• Assist in the launch of the remote VITA program including but not limited to: 

• Recruitment and vetting of VITA volunteers 

• VITA tax season preparation and planning 

• Assist the VITA Site Coordinator in day-to-day operations of the IRC’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site during tax season (January – April 2026), including but not limited to: 

• Implementation of scheduling system for client appointments at each site 

• Coordinating and providing technical support to volunteer tax preparers 

• Providing customer service to clients, as needed 

• Schedule customers for tax preparation 

• Conducting quality reviews and electronically filing tax returns; 

• Assist with data collection and reporting; 

• Ensure compliance with IRS and VITA program policies and procedures; 

• Other duties as assigned 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:  

• The intern will learn how to effectively act as a VITA tax preparer and/or quality reviewer via training and certification exams.   

• The intern will learn about providing financial services to community members. 

REQUIREMENTS: 

• Undergraduate degree in finance, accounting, or a related field; or mix of equivalent years of related work experience and education preferred not required; 

• Previous experience as a VITA volunteer strongly preferred not required;

• Previous experience with personal income tax preparation strongly preferred not required; 

• Experience in a non-profit organization preferred not required; 

• Excellent customer service skills, including experience working with a diverse client base; 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to make presentations as well as the ability to supervise a large, diverse group of volunteers; 

• Strong organizational skills and high level of attention to detail; 

• High level of computer literacy; familiarity with TaxSlayer software highly preferred; 

• High level of comfort, functioning and effectiveness in multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams; 

• Strong commitment to economic empowerment of low-income and underserved populations; 

• Excellent written and verbal English; 

This position reports to the Tax Site Coordinator and local Financial Capabilities Staff. 

This is an unpaid internship position. No financial compensation, including compensation for relocation, is available. 

Interested applicants should complete their application online and attach a resume and cover letter.  

IRC leading the way from harm to home. 

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.