IRS Begging for Volunteers for VITA, etc

[mcb39]

I keep getting these e-mails from the IRS asking for preparers to volunteer their time to help the poor taxpayers who cannot afford to pay a preparer.

I wonder if the IRS has ANY conception of how much pro bono work many of us do in our own practices. I never charge an active military service person. I rarely charge for Homestead Credit returns and if there is extra work; it is only a pittance. I know most of my clients well enough to know who can afford what and I truly believe that it's not all about money. (Not that I don't like money)! I have amended enough returns prepared by VITA to know that I don't want to go there. These amendments are also done pro bono.

Also, does the IRS ever consider how many children, parents, brothers and sisters that we all have? I do my volunteering at home.

[Guest Taxed]

Few years back one of the local churches in my area wanted to setup a VITA program, and the pastor approached me to get the ball rolling. After looking at what is involved to apply for the grant from IRS and their strict requirements I backed out. I told him I will do a couple of returns free for his parishioners at his request.

[Lee B]

Several months ago there was an article where the IRS acknowledged an error rate of close to 50 % on VITA prepared returns.

[Guest Taxed]

Previously I had seen one of their training charts for a new volunteer. Basically it is a flow chart that they are suppose to follow. So if there is something that is not on the chart they are stumped. Also on the input sheet if they find certain sources of income such as K1 etc. they are suppose to send the taxpayer away??

[Jack from Ohio]

The VITA program is a steady source of customers for me when the CP2000 letters come in.

No volunteers to handle any follow-up, if needed.

[Guest Taxed]

Not all VITA volunteers are inexperienced or incompetent. Just like any other org it varies.

I used to work with a EA who retired and then became a VITA volunteer.

[Jack from Ohio]

Several months ago there was an article where the IRS acknowledged an error rate of close to 50 % on VITA prepared returns.

Not all VITA volunteers are inexperienced or incompetent. Just like any other org it varies.

I used to work with a EA who retired and then became a VITA volunteer.

I wish our work as preparers would be approved at 50% error rate!! With the current set of rules and liability regulations we face, it would seem that the IRS prefers errors.

[Don in Upstate NY]

... it would seem that the IRS prefers errors ...

The "error rate" used by the IRS as a measure of volunteer site performance is almost meaningless. It traditionally has been the percentage of e-filed returns that were rejected on first submittal. So some returns counted as errors are actually correct (someone else incorrectly claimed the kid) while most of the returns with rejects are simple typos in SSN, EIN, etc. that were automatically detected, never processed, and caused no harm.

In defense of the IRS, they needed a metric to assess site performance in a timely fashion. Since most real errors (mismatch between W2 and line 7, incorrect filing status, ...) aren't caught until a year after the return is submitted, the IRS chose to use the only thing available to them in semi-real time - e-file rejects.

[Guest Taxed]

The input sheet that VITA uses is pretty good if it is completed correctly. Since all their traffic is walk in, mostly low income taxpayers that may qualify for EITC those errors come with the territory.

[mcb39]

The best (or worst) one that I ever had was when the preparer entered over $4000 of mortgage interest paid on the line for interest income. This resulted in over $8000 of excess income. Jack is correct in that there is nobody to follow up at VITA. We amended it and it turned out that they had never even filed it. It took several months to straighten that one out.

However, I know that they have supposedly competent preparers helping out. I have a colleague urge me to join him every year at VITA. However, I also know that he makes plenty of errors because I had him working for me for two days.

This does not make me perfect by any means, but I am here to correct my mistakes if and when I make them.

[Guest Taxed]

I was told that the local site manager is suppose to do spot checking of returns prepared by new volunteers. I am surprised they entered the $4000 mortgage interest as interest income. On that flowchart that they are suppose to use, it clearly says where to enter that info. Perhaps a really "challenged" preparer who can't even follow the flowchart?

[Gail in Virginia]

I was told that the local site manager is suppose to do spot checking of returns prepared by new volunteers. I am surprised they entered the $4000 mortgage interest as interest income. On that flowchart that they are suppose to use, it clearly says where to enter that info. Perhaps a really "challenged" preparer who can't even follow the flowchart?

Or perhaps a non-standardized 1098 that confused the preparer as to what type of interest they were referring to? Some forms can be confusing, and when banks/brokerages/etc are allowed to print and send in any format it can be easy to misunderstand what you are looking at sometimes.

[ILLMAS]

The IRS should send insider (employees) to do the volunteer work, do you know they only work from 8:30 to 4:30 and not a minute past 4:30.

[Guest Taxed]

That behavior of not working a minute beyond the clock is typical for many Govt and municipal employees unless they are on overtime.

I had to get an accident report and when I reached the records office I was 5 minutes late because i had to find parking. The clerk smiled and pointed to the timing on the door and went back to carry on her conversation with her co-worker. I stood there for 5 more minutes to see may be she will have a change of heart but no. Did not even look at me once.

[kcjenkins]

Don't you look forward to the same treatment in a hospital after the government takes full control of them?

OPPS ! If anyone wants to continue this, we should move it to the politics forum. Let me know if you want it moved.

Edited August 14, 2013 by kcjenkins

[Guest Taxed]

Hopefully Emergency rooms will be on a 24/7 basis (public or private).

[Jack from Ohio]

I keep seeing the word "hopefully." Anyone care to explain that?

[ILLMAS]

That behavior of not working a minute beyond the clock is typical for many Govt and municipal employees unless they are on overtime.

I had to get an accident report and when I reached the records office I was 5 minutes late because i had to find parking. The clerk smiled and pointed to the timing on the door and went back to carry on her conversation with her co-worker. I stood there for 5 more minutes to see may be she will have a change of heart but no. Did not even look at me once.

LOL I know someone that works in an office like that, he takes pride in telling people you cannot work more than other co-worker because then you make them look bad. If you can't beat them, join them I guess

Edit: Not all gov't departments are like this, it mostly customer oriented departments are the worst.

[mcb39]

Or perhaps a non-standardized 1098 that confused the preparer as to what type of interest they were referring to? Some forms can be confusing, and when banks/brokerages/etc are allowed to print and send in any format it can be easy to misunderstand what you are looking at sometimes.

That may be so, but I never do a return for a new client without seeing the prior year return as filed. Also, looking at the amount of income this couple had which qualified them for Tuition Credits, EIC, etc; there is no way that anyone with any common sense would not question the taxpayer having over $4000 interest income. (Of course, it disqualified the EIC). This particular return was a mess and I would prepare their returns free forever rather than have them go back there. However, they are happy to pay me. I repeat: Common Sense!

As for the Flow Sheet; most of us follow some sort of Organizer. That doesn't make it right to put an entry on the wrong line. How long would it have taken the IRS to discover this error (if ever, and if VITA had actually filed it) My guess is a minimum of 18 months. There is no way that this couple could have paid the tax liability in the meantime.

[Guest Taxed]

Inspite of the shortcomings I think VITA plays an important role for those taxpayer who can't afford a paid preparer and do not have the resources or capabilities to use Free File.

I would not want IRS to discontinue the VITA program.

[kcjenkins]

That is probably the only reason the return was not filed. Wonder how many were done the same, but just cut the refund down but not out, and WERE filed?

[kcjenkins]

The IDEA behind VITA is good, but I really do think, having seen so many bad returns even in my realatively small town, that the IRS should have to maintain better oversight of the output.

Perhaps they could come up with a special processing for those returns, where an IRS professional had to review all the efiles through VITA, and compare with an experienced eye, After all, any of us, looking at a return where the Interest Income was that much out of line, would have immediatly looked at the prior year return, for example, and questioned where so much came from.

[GeneInAlabama]

The IRS should send insider (employees) to do the volunteer work, do you know they only work from 8:30 to 4:30 and not a minute past 4:30.

When I worked for the government, my supervisor would not let me work over on my own time. Someone had worked over every day for a period of time and then one day applied for back overtime and got paid for it. After that, they were very careful to not let anyone work over unless they were on overtime.

[Guest Taxed]

For a while I was a manager of a unit in private business and I saw workers slow down during busy periods to request overtime. In private business a manager is given a overtime budget and must manage that. So yes I agree that ONLY a manager should authorize overtime and not let slow employees work extra hours and then request overtime.

[jainen]

>>one day applied for back overtime and got paid for it<<

The same would happen in private industry, especially if the workers are protected by collective bargaining. Fair labor laws, you know--you get paid for working. Don't you want government agencies to stay within budget?