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Frequently Asked Questions About Volunteering

Do you have to be an accountant to volunteer?
No! Our tax volunteers come from a variety of fields and backgrounds. Some are college students and businessmen and women, while others are homemakers and retirees. What all of our tax volunteers have in common is a willingness to complete our training, basic computer skills, a level of comfort preparing tax forms, and most important, a desire to make a real difference in the financial lives of our low-income neighbors.

What is the training like?
Each year new and returning volunteers attend training consisting of classes on tax issues and credits, plus a computer workshop to learn tax preparation software. Training is available at several tri-county locations, including at college campuses.

How many times would I be expected to volunteer during the tax season?
Because of the training investment, we expect that each volunteer will serve at least 20 hours over the course of the tax season which runs from late-January to mid-April. All of our 25-plus tax sites are open on Saturdays, while some have daytime and week night hours.You can choose to perform your volunteer service on consecutive days/weeks or you can spread it out over the course of the season, whatever works best for your schedule.

Can I choose where I want to volunteer?
Yes! Volunteers can choose from more than 25 locations in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Livingston counties. Our tax sites are mainly in libraries, community centers and human resource agencies. For 2009, Accounting Aid had 29 locations.

Can our group work together as a volunteer tax team?
Yes! An important cornerstone of our tax program is the "Adopt-a-Site" sponsorships in which colleagues sign up as a group for tax training, then volunteer together at the same location during the tax season. Our 2009 groups included Baker College, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Brasscraft, Inc., Clark Hill, Comerica, Compuware Corp., Thomas M. Cooley Law School, DENSO, DTE Energy, GM Hispanic Initiative Team, GM Tech Center, GM JumpStart, Godfrey Hammel, Danneels & Company, P.C., KPMG LLP, Masco Corporation, Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants, National Association of Black Accountants, Oakland University, Plante & Moran, PLLC, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Private Bank,  University of Michigan-Dearborn and Wayne State University Law School. 
   
Can I volunteer to do something other than taxes?
Yes! Volunteers are also needed as tax trainers, client screeners, computer techs, data entry clerks, Spanish, Arabic and Hmong translators, and as marketing and administrative support.

Who is eligible to receive help through the Tax Assistance Program?
Eligibility for this free service is based on annual household income. At present, the guidelines are:
For individuals -- an annual household income up to $25,000
For families -- an annual household income up to $50,000
(A family is a married couple or a person with at least one dependent)  Meet a few of our tax clients.

In 2009, more than 13,600 families living in poverty received income tax refunds and tax credits thanks to more than 800 trained Accounting Aid Society volunteers. Click here for our 2009 Fast Facts.

In all, more than $14.8 million in tax returns and credits went directly to low and moderate income residents in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Livingston counties this year, and in turn, into the economy of southeastern Michigan.

Does Accounting Aid Society receive any money from its tax clients?
Absolutely not. As partners in the IRS's VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program, we do not accept any compensation from our low-income clients.

Does Accounting Aid Society receive the tax refunds and redistribute them to the tax clients?
No. Our tax clients mail their own tax forms and receive their refunds at their own addresses or have them directly deposited into their bank accounts. There is no "middleman."

If you have further questions, call us at 313-647-9620, or e-mail tap@accountingaidsociety.org.