Volunteer Tax Quality Reviewer

SCOPE OF WORK: The IRC’s Program Quality and Innovation Unit assists offices which help newly arrived refugees and other low-income individuals reach self-sufficiency by finding entry-level employment and progress to living wage jobs; learn basic financial management skills and build assets; start small businesses; and access Earned Income Tax Credit. Under the supervision of the Tax Site Coordinator, Volunteer Tax Quality Reviewer will conduct a quality review on tax returns prepared to ensure every taxpayer receives top quality service and that tax returns are error free. The program is offering services to clients in IRC offices located in Phoenix, AZ, Salt Lake City, UT, Denver, CO and Elizabeth, NJ. The IRC’s goal is to assist 4,000 taxpayers in preparing their returns in a safe, culturally and linguistically appropriate manner – remotely.

COMMITMENT: January- April 2021 between 3-15 hours per week. Volunteer will need to supply his/her own home workspace, computer, internet access, etc.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

•Refer taxpayers with ‘out-of-scope’ returns to a professional return preparer.

•Complete all IRC and IRS mandated trainings and certifications, including the Volunteer Standards of Conduct (VSC) certification and Intake/Interview & Quality Review certification. Basic level certification is also needed (Advanced level certification preferred).

•Review Publication 5299, Quality Review Refresher and Publication 5310, and VITA/TCE Tax Return Quality Review Job Aid

•Conduct a quality review on all returns, using the Quality Review Checklist found in Publication 4012. Using the completed Form 13614-C and source documents, ensure all these items are consistent with the entries on the tax return.

•Advise the taxpayer that he/she is ultimately responsible for the information on the return before asking the taxpayer to sign Form 8879 or the tax return. Explain to the taxpayer that signing the return certifies that the taxpayer has examined the return, including all the forms and schedules for accuracy, and they are signing the return under penalty of perjury.

•Provide feedback to volunteer preparers explaining identified errors captured during quality review and instructions for making the necessary corrections.