Everyone needs a hobby I guess. With my spare time yesterday, I prepared two individual income tax returns, and reviewed a third, all so that I could take a test and prove that I was worthy of voluteering with the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance ("VITA"). Basically, it's a free tax preparation assistance service that the IRS offers for low income people. Once I'm a full fledged volunteer, I can use their tax preparation software, but until then, I was forced to use nothing but my wits alone. Scary.
I don't prepare a lot of individual returns in my practice. The task is much more suited, in my opinion, to an accountant or someone much more familiar with individual income tax laws. However, they only have two volunteers at the site I'll be working at and neither speaks English very well. Plus, the people I'll be helping don't make a lot anyway so their tax returns will likely be less complicated and if I screw up, it probably can't result in that much of a tax difference.
As you probably guessed from the last paragraph, I successfully passed the test. Although, I really wish there was an IRS person or accountant that I could ask some questions to, as through the process of completing the form, I came up with several. I think it would be helpful to me and the people I'm going to assist, going forward. Heck, they should offer this process as a class - that would be even more helpful.
So there's something one can do on a weekend.
I don't prepare a lot of individual returns in my practice. The task is much more suited, in my opinion, to an accountant or someone much more familiar with individual income tax laws. However, they only have two volunteers at the site I'll be working at and neither speaks English very well. Plus, the people I'll be helping don't make a lot anyway so their tax returns will likely be less complicated and if I screw up, it probably can't result in that much of a tax difference.
As you probably guessed from the last paragraph, I successfully passed the test. Although, I really wish there was an IRS person or accountant that I could ask some questions to, as through the process of completing the form, I came up with several. I think it would be helpful to me and the people I'm going to assist, going forward. Heck, they should offer this process as a class - that would be even more helpful.
So there's something one can do on a weekend.
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