VITA Site Registration:
Don't forget to submit your ABA-approved law school's VITA Registration Form for the 2009 tax season and become an official participant of the ABA Law Student Division VITA program. Completed Registration Forms for 2009 VITA sites are due January 15, 2010.

2009 VITA Site Reporting:
Monthly reports are due on the 15th of each month beginning the first of the year: January 15; February 15; and March 15. The final report is due May 1. Electronic reporting forms are available online.

Veteran Sites

• Duke University School of Law
• University of Oklahoma College of Law
• University of South Dakota School of Law
• Southwest Law School
• Valparaiso University School of Law
  

Contact the IRS for training materials, forms and technical assistance prior to and during the 2009 tax season. The IRS can provide VITA training for law students, alumni, professors and other volunteers with no tax preparation experience or even those with experience. The training consists of learning how to prepare the following schedules:

• 1040
• 1040A
• 1040EZ federal tax returns, and
• Related schedules

The predominant focus for tax preparation will be the 1040EZ & the 1040A returns, since these are the forms predominantly used by the typical VITA clientele.

Additionally, training will be provided on calculating and preparing the following forms:

• EIC - Earned Income Credit,
• Lifetime Learning Credit,
• Hope Credit, and
• Student loan interest deductions.

It is very common that many of the tax returns prepared will be those of your fellow students, their family members, undergraduate students of affiliated campuses or persons referred to the VITA site by a student. 

• Designate a contact person or VITA Director.
• SBAs, their presidents and ABA School Representatives are responsible for designating a VITA contact person at their campus and reporting the appointees name and contact information to the Law Student Division before December 15, 2009.
• Provide a list of prospective volunteers for the spring 2010 semester.
• Volunteers will need about 10 hours or more of advance training. Training normally takes place in late January or early to mid February, so you can't wait too long! The IRS has VITA Taxpayer Education Coordinators available, usually by late October or early November, but in some locations not until December.
• Reporting your activities to the ABA is critical so we know what schools are participating.
• After recruiting volunteers, schedule training sessions using IRS training staff, tax professors, or tax professionals. Contact your local state tax office to arrange training sessions. A list of state contacts is provided at the end of the VITA Handbook or visit the ABA Section of Taxation for more information.
  
• It is highly recommended that you get one or more tax professors and/or business/tax clubs or organizations involved and committed to this program. It is the general consensus of past volunteers that the VITA program would have difficulty getting off the ground at most campuses without the participation of one or more professors and a tax or business club. The success of this program depends upon students, faculty and the administration working together to provide this free service to members of the community.
  
• Read the VITA Assistance Program Handbook for more information.

Keep in mind that VITA works best when it is mapped out in the fall semester and executed accordingly in the spring.

Taxwise Training: Click Here

Electronic filing: This is the preferred method of filing for the IRS. Training is generally completed in one 6 to 8 hour session. It is also possible to have a few representatives from the school, typically the student director and supervisors, attend a training session with the IRS. Those who attend the IRS training may then train the remaining 10 volunteers. This option makes it easier to arrange training sessions around class schedules.

TaxWise (software) Training: Contact your Territory Manager to find out about local requirements. To sign-up for the TaxWise online training, click here. If you have used TaxWise software before, a refresher course should take less than 2 hours.

Territory Manager depends on the area: Click Here

Download your free copy of the VITA Handbook today. Available in PDF format.

Be sure to Nominate your law school's VITA program for the 2010 Law Student Division VITA Award. The deadline for receipt of nominations: April 1, 2010. Tell me about the VITA Award.

• ABA Section of Taxation VITA Site
• Training Sites
• IRS & ABA Agreement
• ABA Training Book

FROM THE IRS

• IRS Information
• Pre-filing
• Filing
• Post
• Changes

TRAINING

• IRS -- IRS
• Taxwise
• Test: 2004 Form 6744 (PDF) VITA Test and Answer Book
• Territory Manager
• Overview of Site

FORMS

• Form 2333V, Volunteer Order Form
• Form 13315, Partner Volunteer Outreach Activity Report
• Form 13206, Volunteer Assistance Summary Report
• Forms and Instructions

ELECTRONIC FILING

• 1104 Publ 1345 (PDF) Handbook for Authorized IRS e-file Providers of Individual Income Tax Returns
• Form 8453 (PDF) U.S. Individual Income Tax Declaration for Electronic Filing
• 1004 Form 9325 (PDF) Acknowledgement and General Information for Taxpayers Who File Returns Electronically

GUIDES

• Publication 678 - Volunteer Assistor's Guide
• Publication 678M - Military/International Student Text
• Publication 4011 - IRS Volunteer Quick Reference Guide for Foreign Student and Scholar Income Tax
• Publication Repository
• Publication 1155 - Volunteer Assistor's Guide - Instructor Guide
• Publication 1155M - Volunteer Assistor's Guide - Military/International Instructor Guide

• Division eNewsletter
• Circuit Webboard
  • Visit the Webboard
  • Instructions
  • Tour (PowerPoint / PDF)
• LegallyMinded, an ABA online community serving the legal profession
• ABA Economic Recovery Resources