Upload
darcy-ryan
View
213
Download
1
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Agenda• 8:30 Greet & Caffeinate
• 9:00 Introduction & Agenda
• Review of NH Tax-Aide
• Recognition
• Long-term Goals
• TY2011 Plans
• What’s New
• IRS Update
• Volunteer coordination
• Training
• Computers
• Lunch
• General discussion
Review of NH Tax-Aide: State Leadership
ADS Vicki Laforet [email protected]
TRS Deb Hatcherdeb-
TCS Wayne Eddy [email protected]
PVSHarvey Epstein
PCS Les Scammon [email protected]
SC Jan Nedelka [email protected]
New!New!
New!New!
New!New!
Review of NH Tax-Aide: District Leadership
North Country
Chuck Martindill [email protected]
Grafton-Sullivan
Gus Seamans [email protected]
Carroll County
Howie Knightxcaliber1@roadrunner
.comConcord Les Scammon [email protected]
Monadnock Bunny [email protected]
t
ManchesterJim
Nashua Kaye [email protected]
et
Seacoast Harvey Epsteinharveyiepstein@gmail
.com
New!New!
Recognition• 20 Years with Tax-Aide
• Cecile Chabot
• Norma Rose
• Ruth Cunniff
• Owen Latham
• Ann Saad
• Five volunteers with ten years of service
• Twenty-eight volunteers with five years of service
Long term Goals for New Hampshire• 100% Taxwise Online by 2014
• Last year we were at 40% - in top ten in nation; some states already closing in on 100%
• Succession Plans at every level by 2013
•No one-person sites by 2012 (okay, that’s short term)
• Strong TC in every district - distinct from DC by 2013
TY2011:What’s New
•Tax Law: Few changes (barring a ‘gift’ from congress in December)
•One new form - Form 8949
TY2011: What’s New
•TaxWise Changes
•TaxWise Online tweaked to be more like desktop
•MeF active from the state - accept/rejects in less than 10 minutes
TY2011: What’s New
IRS Changes•No longer need to retain 1099s
•No longer need to retain W-2s
•No longer need to retain 8879s (federal and state)
•New training requirement: Standards of Conduct (painless & common sense)
•Dramatically cutting back on printed training material - nothing printed in 2014
TY2011: What’s New
Standards of Conduct• I will follow the Quality Site Requirements (QSR)
• I will not accept payment or solicit donations for federal or state tax return preparation
• I will not solicit business from taxpayers I assist or use the knowledge I gained about them (their information) for any direct or indirect personal benefit for me or any other specific individual.
• I will not knowingly prepare false returns
• I will not engage in criminal, infamous, dishonest, notoriously disgraceful conduct, or any other conduct deemed to have a negative effect on the VITA/TCE Programs.
• I will treat all taxpayers in a professional, courteous, and respectful manner
TY2011: What’s New
Standards of Conduct• Jake is a volunteer preparer in the
VITA/TCE Programs. When preparing a return for Jill, Jake learns that Jill does not have an account to receive a direct deposit of her refund. Jake offers to use his account to receive the direct deposit, and says he will turn the money over to Jill once the refund is deposited. Is this an acceptable action under the program? a. Yes b. No
TY2011: What’s New
Tax-Aide• Lots of stuff!
• Standards of Professionalism
• Incident Review Protocol
• Volunteer recruitment through Portal
• Milage-only expense through Portal
• Nasty Budget Crunch (~25%)
• Everyone must have a unique email address
• No surveys (tear them off if using old envelopes)
• Generic XP images, generic Win7 images
• Printers can be fixed by same folks who provide toner
• All volunteers, including new, may now take all tests online
• May use public wifi networks for TWO
TY2011: What’s New
NH Tax-Aide•Computer allocation and distribution
will be coordinated by TCS (Wayne)
•Several ‘dead’ laptops will be replaced with new ones from national; Wayne has resurrected a couple others.
•If wireless routers are needed, they can be supplied
TY2011: What’s New
Tax-Aide• Standards of Professionalism dovetails with IRS’ standards of
conduct, but encompasses treatment and expectations of volunteers as well as clients. Volunteers now agree to allow background checks...if someone can come up with the money.
• Incident Protocol provides a path for handling when things go bad - including violations of the standards of professionalism.
• Webinars and training available in December.
• Anticipated use is low - on the order of ~35-50 nationwide
• Example: if client says ‘you're going to hear from my lawyer’, start the protocol
• Example: If a client or a volunteer has a heart attack, start the protocol
TY2011: What’s New
Tax-Aide•Volunteer Recruitment
•All new potential volunteers MUST be entered into portal system
•Preferred method: Have the recruit enter their data
•Acceptable alternative: DCs or LCs may enter the volunteer’s information
•Now require an ID check on volunteers
TY2011: What’s New
Tax-Aide
TY2011: What’s New
Tax-Aide• Many reimbursements will be submitted via Portal (but
not all)
• LCs must generate their own flat-rate forms, rather than waiting for mailing from national (NH state policy)
• Individuals may now file for milage through portal
• Training available in January
• History: 23% take no reimbursement; 35% take flat rate. Remainder constitute single largest item in tax-aide budget (~50%). There will be an option to take a lesser amount
• NH will have same $300 milage ceiling as prior years w/o prior approval by SC. Approval deadline is Jan 15th.
TY2011: What’s New
Tax-Aide•There is now a generic Win XP
image that can be installed on pretty much any machine, and all security and software requirements are met
•National has received a grant for 9,500 Win7 licenses, but will not generally be rolled out until next year.
IRS Update
New Hampshire AARP Tax-Aide Fall Meeting 2011
Thank you again!!!!!!
Volunteer Return Preparation Program (VRPP)VITA/TCE Sites New Hampshire
68 free tax preparation Sites in New Hampshire 14,072 tax returns prepared up 6.5% from 2010 56% returns filed single filers 19% Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) returns $3.67 million in EITC claimed $17.1 million in refunds claimed $2.08 million in balance due returns filed 96% returns e-filed 60% returns Direct Deposit up from 53% in 2010 Encourage Direct Deposit & Direct Debit
SPEC Quality Initiative 2012 Ten Quality Site Requirements Complete Interview/Intake and Quality review process SPEC assistance visits
Stay within scope of VITA/TCE Program Form 13614-C mandatory
Form 13614-C in TaxWise can be used
QSS site reviews by SPEC HQ Unannounced visits in 2012
SPEC Quality Initiative 2012 (cont.) TIGTA Shopping SPEC QSS & Shopping Visits
Performed by SPEC HQ Most Common tax law errors Filing Season 2011
Investment income Taxability of pension income and SS benefits Itemized Deductions
Product Ordering Timeline Training materials are scheduled to arrive the week of
November 21st
All training products available now on irs.gov All Sites should have Publication 3189 “Volunteer e-file
Administration Guide” QSR #4 Publication 4491 CD includes all printed training materials Pub 4491 VITA/TCE Training Guide
Included pub 4491, 4491-W, 4012, 1278, & Test Form 6744
Pub 4480 Link & Learn Taxes Includes pub 4491-W, 4012 & Test Form 6744, CD of pub 4491
VITA/TCE Products FY 2012
Expanded in scope tax topics Link & Learn available November 14th SPEC transitioning to electronic products by filing season
2014 Form 13614-C revised Web based evaluations Pub 4491-X published electronically mid December for late
tax law legislation Optional e-modules on Link & Learn for those who have
passed advanced module Cancellation of debt Health Savings Accounts
TaxWise Filing Season 2012
TaxWise Online recommended where possible Much less burden on Site Coordinator Wireless not prohibited Form 8879 retention requirement eliminated,
taxpayer will retain signed copy TaxWise Software shipped 11/28/2011
Beginning with FS 2012, users have the ability to:
Switch between interview and form mode in TWO similar to Desktop
Allow Administrators to mandate use of interview mode Setup up staging groups in TWO similar to Desktop. Restrict preparers use of override Moved the “efile” button to the top of screen Added Control “E” function TaxWise Webinars on Link & Learn Practice Lab
FS 2012 TaxWise
Added: New Reviewer role Three new Prep Use Fields Time out reminder
Included Form 13614C Offering a Western Union Debit Card
FS 2012 TaxWise
Modernized e-file or MeF Year round e-filing Faster acknowledgements Prior year returns
2010 tax year during 2012 tax season More plain language error conditions Allow Adobe PDF attachments to tax returns CCH began participating in MeF in 2011
Modernized e-file or MeF (cont.)
MeF is case sensitive CCH recommends the use of CAPS lock throughout
the preparation of the tax return Punctuation or extra spaces on the Main Information
sheet will cause validation errors Special characters should not be used (i.e. hyphens,
commas, periods)
FSA: Facilitated Self Assistance Tax preparation The volunteer Program could not serve everyone who
needs assistance if they all showed up 70% of taxpayers can prepare their taxes on line at
irs.gov for free but do not know how Certified volunteer assists group of customers not one
on one tax preparation FSA an option in all 50 states ICAN www.icanefile.org
Approved for New Hampshire
Community Based Partnerships / Coalitions
Community organizations coming together to provide:
Education and Outreach Tax Preparation Financial Education/Asset Building-make customers aware
of what tax credits/resources are available
Why participate: AARP Tax-Aide is a key Partner Resources may be available/volunteers/marketing United Way is involved across New Hampshire and a key Partner Six active Community Based Partnerships in NH
Tax Credit Awareness and Education
Financial Education & Asset
Building
Tax Preparation
Community Based
Partnerships
Questions?????
603-628-7531 Gregg Woodes [email protected] Joanne Yasika [email protected]
603-628-7536 Internal Revenue Service/SPEC
1000 Elm Street Suite 900 Manchester NH 03101
TY2011: What’s New
Coalition Partners•CA$H Coalition of New Hampshire now
exists
•A statewide organization to serve a variety of financial related public service organizations and help clients move from viewing us as an isolated transaction to part of their broader financial life.
•Example of small business matching program
Volunteer Coordination
•New Portal Features
Volunteer Recruitment System – the improved new way
Why?•To provide DCs with additional information about prospective volunteer experiences and qualifications
•To allow leaders to refer potential volunteers to better matched supervisors
•No need for DC/LC to send name, address, phone, e-mail notifications to ADS
•To provide correct data entry BY prospective volunteers
•To reduce the clerical workload of ADSs
•To allow management to be aware of recruiting activity and training success
•Marketing – to evaluate the sources of potential volunteers
•Training – to be aware of when in the training process potential volunteers are determined no longer to be viable for an assignment
•Ethical/Moral qualification – to determine the extent to which potential volunteers fail to become volunteers owing to an unacceptable criminal background or failure to agree to Standards of Conduct.
2. Auto E-mail to PVS
Processing Prospects
Volunteer Portal
www.aarp.org/taxaideProspect Volunteer Form
4. Auto e-mail to DC for assignment
1. Prospective volunteer submits application online 6. Auto E-mail to
prospect
3. PVS (Harvey) routes the prospect to DC
5. DC reviews application, interviews
the prospect and changes status to
“Approve”, “No Match”, or “On Hold”
DC
Volunteer Portal
VMIS
ProspectRecords
8. ADS process “Accepted” prospect to volunteer with “Process Prospect”
in VMIS
7. DC reports certified new
volunteers to ADS via e-mail
ADS
Vicki
VMISPVS Harvey
DC
Processing Prospects
2012
• The AARP Tax-Aide web site has a shorter address, www.aarp.org/taxaide and is easier to locate using key word searches (AARP Tax-Aide, Volunteer Tax-Aide, etc) in Google.
• Registration directions are available for a prospective volunteer.
• DCs are allowed to change any status even after No Match and Accepted statuses are selected.
• E-mails for 'No Match' continue to be worded negatively - Upon request, the ADS can go into VMIS directly and change prospective volunteers to "No Match" with out triggering an e-mail
• Prospective Volunteer record does not identify the supervisor – if known include it in the notes when you approve a candidate.
Prospective Volunteer Recruitment System – DCs ViewReview Prospective Volunteer
DC determines next steps
Status Codes (Red: New/Revised)
• Submitted (Pending): means that an application has been received but no contact or action has yet been taken.
• Routed to DC (Pending approval from DC): means the application has been routed to a DC but no contact or action has yet been taken.
• DC Evaluating (In Progress): means that the application has been received by a decision maker and contact or a decision is in progress although no decision has yet been made.
• Approve: means that the prospective volunteer has been approved to be scheduled for training
AND training kits will be ordered.AND training kits will be ordered.• No Match (Reject): means the prospective volunteer appears not to be a good fit for the
AARP Tax-Aide program and the application has been rejected. To avoid the negative email To avoid the negative email sent out to the volunteer - Request the ADS to make this change sent out to the volunteer - Request the ADS to make this change
• On Hold: means that the applicant may be suitable to become a Tax-Aide volunteer at a later date.
• Duplicate: means that prospective volunteer has submitted more than one application to become a Tax-Aide volunteer
• Unqualified: means that the prospective volunteer has not passed the Ethics Qualification Test or has not signed the Volunteer Standards of Conduct.
• Accepted: means that the prospective volunteer has passed the Ethics Qualification Test, and has signed the Volunteer Standards of Conduct AND the volunteer can be processed into AND the volunteer can be processed into VMIS.VMIS.
Computers•Wayne will coordinate statewide
computer distribution
•All DCs to gather needs from LCs
•Keep Wayne’s life simple - assume he is blissfully ignorant of what you’ve done in the past, and as DC pass the consolidated information on to him - much cleaner than 50 LCs sending all kinds of stuff.