Arizona Tax-Aide seeks volunteers for upcoming tax season

Ready to take a bigger step as we emerge from the pandemic?  Help yourself and others in your community by volunteering to be part of AARP Foundation’s free Tax-Aide service.

Recruitment is underway for the upcoming tax season, including a call for previous volunteers who had to stay on the sidelines last year.  Whatever your background, we can offer a role and a tax-preparation model that suits you.

Put your talents to work, learn new skills, and be rewarded by making a difference in other people’s lives by putting money back into their pockets.  Volunteers will receive free training during fall in a supportive environment.

WHOM WE HELP

Many older Americans with low or moderate income miss out on much-needed tax breaks, deductions and refunds they’ve earned because they cannot afford a tax preparation service.  But the foundation’s Tax-Aide — powered by volunteers like you — helps people who need it most by offering free tax assistance and filing.

VOLUNTEER POSITIONS

Coming from a variety of careers and backgrounds, volunteers range from retirees to university students. Specific experience isn’t necessary. We provide free training, and volunteers earn IRS certification for roles in the following areas:

Meet and greet: Client facilitators welcome taxpayers, organize their paperwork and manage the flow of service.

Crunch the numbers: Volunteer tax preparers work with taxpayers directly, completing tax returns and finding deductions and credits they’ve earned. 

Get technical: Tech coordinators at local sites manage computer equipment, ensure data security, and provide technical assistance to volunteers.

Lead the way: Administrative and leadership volunteers direct local site operations by managing volunteers, overall site activities, and maintaining quality control.

Speak another language? Tax-Aide has a big demand for bilingual speakers in all roles, especially dedicated interpreters who can assist other volunteers.

Spread the word:  Communications coordinators promote our service and help recruit volunteers.

TAX-PREPARATION MODELS

You can choose to work virtually from the comfort of your home or venture out and enjoy the company of fellow volunteers at a local site. We offer the following tax-preparation arrangements to suit your preference:

In-person: Through Tax-Aide’s traditional in-person service, IRS-certified volunteer tax counselors work directly with clients to prepare and file returns — with appropriate physical distancing measures in place.

Low-contact: Taxpayers interact with certified volunteer preparers in one or two short, in-person meetings to exchange documents.

Contact free: Taxpayers interact with counselors online or by phone and exchange documents electronically.

Self-preparation: Tax-Aide provides free access to software so taxpayers can prepare their own returns. Taxpayers can also request the assistance of our volunteers to guide them through the process by computer screen-sharing.

HOW TO VOLUNTEER

Learn about our opportunities at aarpfoundation.org/taxaide or aztax-aide.org or call 1-888-AARP-NOW (1-888-227-7669). AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is operated in coordination with the IRS.