Tax Course scholarships available
The National Community Tax Coalition is now offering scholarships to the H&R Block Income Tax Course for staff and volunteers of our affiliates! Thanks to a generous donation from H&R Block, a limited number of either paid or volunteer staff of free tax preparation organizations across the country will be able to attend these courses for free. Coalition paid affiliates will receive priority for scholarships.
The scholarships can be applied to any symposium, classroom based classes and computer-based training (CBT) opportunities offered by H & R Block, unless otherwise noted. More information can be downloaded from the Coalition website, and you can register online.
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State of Virginia funds EITC efforts
The new Virginia state budget provides funds to Virginia Community Action Partnership to support the Virginia Earned Income Tax initiative. This is a major step forward for Virginia CAP, whose ultimate aim is a state EITC.
In addition to supporting the Virginia EITC Coalition for two years, the money will provide grants to local organizations to provide outreach, education and tax preparation services to those who may be eligible for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit.
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UTS TaxWise training
The IRS has contracted with Universal Tax Systems (UTS) to provide TaxWise Train-the-Trainer sessions to free tax preparation partners around the country. The three-day class is for experienced TaxWise users who can benefit from advanced training. These classes were well-received last year and promise to be even better this year. They provide hands-on, practical instruction on all aspects of using TaxWise. To find out about a class in your area, contact the Relationships Manager in your local SPEC office.
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IRS seeks feedback on new split refunds form
For the first time, taxpayers will have the option of splitting their 2006 federal income tax refunds among up to three different accounts via direct deposit. Taxpayers who opt to split their refunds among two or three accounts will make this designation using Form 8888.
The IRS recently posted a draft of the form and instructions and invites your input. You can share your comments about the draft form and instructions electronically on a special website, where you can view comments from the Coalition and others.
IRS announces standard amounts for telephone tax refunds
In general, those who paid the long-distance telephone tax on their phone bill will get the refund on their 2006 federal income tax return. The standard amounts are based on the total number of exemptions claimed on the 2006 federal income tax return. The standard amounts are $30 for a person filing a return with one exemption, $40 for two exemptions, $50 for three exemptions and $60 for four or more exemptions. For example, a married couple filing a joint return with two dependent children (for a total of four exemptions) will be eligible for the maximum standard amount of $60.
To get the standard amount, eligible taxpayers only need to fill out one additional line on their regular 2006 return. The IRS is creating a special short form (Form 1040EZ-T) for those who don’t need to file a regular return. Read more.
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Conference Early Bird registration extended
Discounted registration for the Coalition’s 5th Annual Conference has been extended to Tuesday, September 12, 2006! The conference will be held in Los Angeles, October 11–13, 2006.
The conference will consist of three days of training, learning, networking, and shaping the direction of the free tax preparation and asset-building field. The comprehensive agenda reflects the level of expertise, innovation and passion that representatives in the community-based tax preparation field exude everyday.
Become a Coalition affiliate now and save $100 on your registration fee, then register for the conference.
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Conference scholarships awarded
The National Community Tax Coalition is pleased to introduce this year’s Conference Scholarship recipients. Recipients will either receive a full or partial registration fee scholarship. Candidates were selected because of their interest in improving the services offered to working families, their involvement with the National Community Tax Coalition, and their commitment to the field and the community. In exchange for their scholarship, recipients will assist with on-site conference support. We thank them for their dedication and look forward to seeing them in Los Angeles!
Ada Lillie (Oakland, CA) is the Director of the EITC project at the Alameda County Social Services Agency. The Agency has been operating 3 VITA sites since 2002, returning $4,382,066 to working families, with over 2 million in EITC dollars. In 2006, they added an asset building component to their campaign and opened 50 bank accounts for low-income individuals.
Arthur-Damon Jones (Berkeley, CA) is a graduate student in the Economics Department at the University of California, Berkeley. He has served as a volunteer tax preparer for the DC Cash Coalition and is currently involved in a number of research projects that deal mainly with the Advanced Earned Income Tax Credit.
Brian Campanile (Wilmington, DE) is the Tax Associate at the Nehemiah Gateway Community Development Corporation. Nehemiah Gateway promotes EITC awareness, provides free tax preparation in 19 locations, offers CD’s, credit and benefit screening, and makes referrals to financial education programs. As an AmeriCorps member, Brian was a volunteer tax preparer in 2005 for the DE EITC Campaign. He is currently working on the ITIN, Asset Building, and Childcare Provider Training programs at Nehemiah Gateway.
Carin McClain (Helena, MT) is an AmeriCorps*VISTA member working for Montana Credit Unions for Community Development (MCUCD). MCUCD established the www.montanafreefile.org website and VITA sites in four rural communities in 2006. Carin will be responsible for developing new VITA sites in Butte, MT and ensuring replicable procedures for future locations across the state.
Henrietta Muñoz (San Antonio, TX) is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Texas, San Antonio. Her dissertation research draws on her work with the San Antonio Coalition for Family Economic Progress (VITA and EITC campaigns), focusing mainly on the benefits of financial literacy campaigns. The San Antonio Coalition for Family Economic Progress, along with its partners, completed approximately 30,000 returns this past tax season, returning over $44 million to working families in San Antonio.
Judy Woodward (Gorham, NH) is a VITA Site Coordinator for the Family Resource Center in Gorham, NH, which just completed its first year of operation as a VITA site. The Resource Center serves a rural community with a struggling economy, where the major employer in the area went out of business recently. The Resource Center is now putting together an Asset Building program to address the needs of its clients. Judy hopes to gain the insight and resources necessary to create a successful program.
Lillian Chen (Boston, MA) is an AmeriCorps*VISTA at the Boston EITC Campaign. She is currently working on a pilot program to recruit and train high school students as volunteer tax preparers. Lillian developed and maintains the Campaign’s partnership with the local high school, wrote the program’s curriculum, successfully applied for a grant to fund the program, and will also be a trainer for the program. The Boston EITC Campaign served 7,993 tax payers in the 2006 tax season, returning over $13 million in refunds to working families.
Lindsey Lewis (Ithaca, NY) is the Free Tax Program AmeriCorps*VISTA for the Alternatives Federal Credit Union in Ithaca, NY. Her goals are to ensure the sustainability of the tax program, while enhancing quality and increasing links to wealth-building opportunities. After completion of her VISTA year, Lindsey plans to continue helping the program as a volunteer.
Sherry West (Okmulgee, OK) is the Social Services Director for the Deep Fork Community Action Foundation in Okmulgee, OK. She has been the Volunteer Return Preparation Program administrator since the program was established in 2003. Besides providing free tax preparation services, Deep Fork also offers Money Matters classes, First Time Homeowner classes, Down Payment Assistance and Prescription assistance for the indigent and Medicare enrollment.
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