IRS VITA

IRS VITA Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) at Citrus College

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) grant program is an IRS initiative designed to support free tax preparation service for the underserved through various partner organizations. This service helps low to moderate-income individuals, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and limited English speakers file their taxes each year. Volunteers learn how to prepare tax returns to assist members of the community.

VITA sites offer free tax help to people who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns, including:

people who generally make $64,000 or less,
persons with disabilities, and
limited English-speaking taxpayers.

In addition to VITA, the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax help, particularly for those who are 60 years of age and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors.

What We Offer

If you qualify, we will prepare your federal and California tax returns. Our tax return preparation assistance service is provided primarily by Citrus College student and faculty volunteers. Each volunteer tax preparer receives IRS-sponsored training and must pass a series of IRS VITA certification tests to ensure they are knowledgeable about the tax code and can provide accurate assistance to taxpayers. To ensure tax returns are prepared correctly and to minimize filing errors, all volunteers are under the supervision of experienced tax practitioners and/or trained faculty.

Taxpayer Information

Eligibility and Quallifications+-

General Eligibility Requirement

We will be able to prepare current year's tax returns that are within the scope of VITA.

VITA volunteers are generally not trained to prepare tax returns for complex tax situations such as extensive investments, rental properties, or businesses with losses, depreciation, expenses for business use of your home, and noncash charitable contributions exceeding $500.

For more information, see Publication 3676-B for services provided.

Do you Qualify?

In general, if you made under $64,000 in 2023, our professionally trained volunteers can prepare and electronically file your federal and state income tax returns. At no cost, you can have your federal and state tax return completed at our site. You may also qualify for the Federal and California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) when you file your tax return.

Questions about the Qualifications?

If you have any questions about the qualifications, please contact us via email at vita@citruscollege.edu.

Location and Operating Hours+-

VITA Location

Citrus College
1000 W. Foothill Blvd., Glendora, CA 91741
Liberal Arts/Business Building
Room LB 207

VITA Operating Dates and Hours

February 23, 2024 to April 12, 2024
Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tax Preparation Appointment and VITA Schedule

Scheduling an Appointment and Checking In+-

Schedule an Appointment

We welcome walk-ins; however, priority is given to those with an appointment.

Additionally, the number of walk-ins we can serve each day may be limited based on the number of appointments scheduled and the availability of volunteers. Please note: the last walk-in appointment that we can accept must be checked in by 2 p.m.

For us to better serve you, we encourage you to schedule an appointment.

Please make certain you have all of your income documents prior to scheduling an appointment, and please bring them with you to your appointment.

For those individuals without an appointment, please bring all your income documents, as well.

If you are missing any required tax documents, we will not be able to prepare your tax return.

Check-in

Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time to check in and fill out an intake/interview form (Form 13614-C).

You can save time by completing Form 13614-C prior to arriving for your appointment.

2024 Tax Preparation Schedule+-

Tax preparation assistance will be available during the following times and dates.

Time

11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location

Liberal Arts/Business Building, Room LB 207

Dates

Friday, February 23, 2024
Friday, March 1, 2024
Friday, March 8, 2024
Friday, March 15, 2024
Friday, March 22, 2024
Friday, March 29, 2024
Friday, April 5, 2024
Friday, April 12, 2024

Documents to Bring to Your Appointment+-

Intake/Interview: Form 13614-C Intake/Interview and Quality Review Sheet

Taxpayers will need to complete the Form 13614-C. We will provide this form when you arrive to the site. You can save time by completing Form 13614-C prior to arriving for your appointment.

Proof of Identification and Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) (required)

Proof of identification (valid driver's license, state photo ID or other government issued identification that includes a photo)
Social Security card for each taxpayer and each dependent listed on their tax return
An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) assignment letter may be substituted for you, your spouse, and your dependents if you do not have a Social Security number.

Volunteer Information

Benefits of Volunteering+-

Participating in the VITA program can be a valuable addition to your academic and professional journey, providing you with practical skills, personal growth, and a deeper connection to your community. Through this volunteer work experience opportunity, you will:

impact in the community by assisting individuals and families who may not have access to affordable tax preparation services.
gain practical experience in preparing tax returns by apply tax knowledge to real-life scenarios.
develop new technical skill by using a professional tax preparation platform.
develop analytic and research skills by reviewing tax laws and regulations to determine the appropriate tax treatment for unique tax-related situations.
develop valuable soft skills such as leadership, communication, problem-solving, and customer service, which are important in professional business environment.
broaden your understanding of tax laws and regulations, which will help you understand the tax impact of certain personal and business financial decisions.
develop skills and habits that will make you more marketable.
improve your interpersonal skills, gain confidence, develop interviewing skills to obtain missing information or clarify information that is unclear, learn the importance of documenting your work and learn the importance of confidentiality and privacy.
learn to ask for assistance when encountering a difficult or complicated situation and learn to accept constructive feedback to improve future performance.

Becoming a VITA Volunteer+-

No prior experience or tax knowledge is needed. All majors are welcome.

General Steps to Qualify as a VITA Volunteer

Step 1

Complete the VITA Volunteer Application to apply and be added to our mailing list.

Step 2

Participate in alternative VITA tax law training (see training option)
For those who desire college course credit, register for ACCT 113 VITA I tax law training for course credit (optional).
Complete the following IRS VITA tax certification exams:
1. IRS VITA Volunteer Standards of Conduct (VSC) Exam
2. Intake/Interview and Quality Review Exam
3. Basic Examination
4. Advanced Examination (preferred)

Step 3

Participate at the VITA site during the tax season.
For those who desire college course credit for participating in VITA, register for ACCT 114 VITA II (optional).

Volunteer Non-Tax Preparer Requirements

All VITA volunteer non-tax preparers must pass the Volunteer Standards of Conduct.

Volunteer Tax Law Training Options and Training Schedules+-

Option 1: Enroll in ACCT 113 (in-person on campus)

Option 2: In-person training conducted at the same time as ACCT 113 Option 1

Option 3: ACCT 113 (online via Zoom)

Option 4: Self-study using IRS Link and Learn Training Platform

Option 1 and 2: Training Schedule (in-person)

Time frame for all sessions: 10:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.
Location for all sessions: Liberal Arts/Business Building, LB 208

Friday, January 12, 2024
Friday, January 19, 2024
Friday, January 26, 2024
Friday, February 2, 2024
Friday, February 9, 2024

Option 3: Training Schedule (online via Zoom)

Time frame for all online sessions: 5 p.m. to 6:50 p.m.

Wednesday, January 10, 2024
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Wednesday, February 14, 2024

More detailed information, in ddition to the Zoom link and access to our VITA Canvas shell will be provided to the VITA volunteers.

Option 4: Training Schedule (self-paced)

Complete the VITA tax training and Volunteer Certification exam using the free training platform on the IRS VITA/TCE Central website.

More detailed information and access to our VITA Canvas shell will be provided to the VITA volunteers.

Online Tax Related Resources

Internal Revenue Service+-

Assistance: Interactive Tax Assistant
The interactive tax assistant (ITA) is a tool that provides answers to several tax law questions specific to your individual circumstances. Based on your input, it can determine if you have to file a tax return, your filing status, if you can claim a dependent, if the type of income you have is taxable, if you're eligible to claim a credit, or if you can deduct expenses.

Electronic Filing: Electronic Filing PIN Assistance
If you need to validate your electronically filed tax return, visit the following page to learn about the various methods.

Payments: Make a Payment
If you need to make a tax payment, the IRS provide some online payment options. Visit the following page to learn more.

Record: Get You Tax Record
You can view your tax records now in your online account. You can access your individual account information including balance, payments, tax records and more.

Refund: Where is my Refund?
You can check the status of your income tax refund 24 hours after e-filing. Please allow three or four days after e-filing your prior year's tax year returns. If you filed a paper return, please allow four weeks before checking your status.

California Franchise Tax Board+-

Payments: Tax Payment
If you need to make a tax payment, the Franchise Tax Board provides some online payment options.

Refund: Check Your California Refund Status
You may be able to get a tax refund if you've paid too much tax. Use this online service to check your refund status.

Campus Parking and Parking Lot/Building Directory Map

One-day parking permits can be purchased at any of the ten automated pay station machines located throughout campus. The daily on-campus parking rate is $5.
The automated pay stations are identified on the map with a "P" in a purple square box on the campus map. Visitors should place the daily parking permit, face up, on the driver's side dashboard to avoid a citation. Visitors without a valid parking permit will be cited, as parking enforcement is 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Parking lot S4 is closest to the Liberal Arts/Business Building (LB).
Parking meters, with a one-hour maximum time limit, are available in only two campus parking lots: V1 near the Student Services (SS) Building and E6 west of the Center for Innovation (CI) Building.
Questions about parking? Review campus safety parking guidelines.
Campus map with building location directory [PDF]
Access Services accessible loading and drop-off locations [PDF]

Contact Information and VITA Faculty

vita@citruscollege.edu
Prof. Patrick Borja, CPA · pborja@citruscollege.edu
(626) 857-4105
Prof. Lea Bagtas · lbagtas@citruscollege.edu
Prof. Fatima Hussain · fhussain@citruscollege.edu