Agenda

1. Agenda • 8:30 Greet & Caffeinate • 9:00 Introduction & Agenda • Review of NH Tax-Aide • Recognition • Long-term Goals • TY2011 Plans • What’s New • IRS Update • Volunteer coordination • Training • Computers • Lunch • General discussion

2. Review of NH Tax-Aide: State Leadership New! New! New!

3. Review of NH Tax-Aide: District Leadership New!

4. Recognition • 20 Years with Tax-Aide • Cecile Chabot • Norma Rose • Ruth Cunniff • Owen Latham • Ann Saad • Five volunteers with ten years of service • Twenty-eight volunteers with five years of service

5. Long term Goals for New Hampshire • 100% Taxwise Online by 2014 • Last year we were at 40% - in top ten in nation; some states already closing in on 100% • Succession Plans at every level by 2013 • No one-person sites by 2012 (okay, that’s short term) • Strong TC in every district - distinct from DC by 2013

6. TY2011:What’s New • Tax Law: Few changes (barring a ‘gift’ from congress in December) • One new form - Form 8949

7. TY2011: What’s New • TaxWise Changes • TaxWise Online tweaked to be more like desktop • MeF active from the state - accept/rejects in less than 10 minutes

8. TY2011: What’s NewIRS Changes • No longer need to retain 1099s • No longer need to retain W-2s • No longer need to retain 8879s (federal and state) • New training requirement: Standards of Conduct (painless & common sense) • Dramatically cutting back on printed training material - nothing printed in 2014

9. TY2011: What’s NewStandards of Conduct • I will follow the Quality Site Requirements (QSR) • I will not accept payment or solicit donations for federal or state tax return preparation • I will not solicit business from taxpayers I assist or use the knowledge I gained about them (their information) for any direct or indirect personal benefit for me or any other specific individual. • I will not knowingly prepare false returns • I will not engage in criminal, infamous, dishonest, notoriously disgraceful conduct, or any other conduct deemed to have a negative effect on the VITA/TCE Programs. • I will treat all taxpayers in a professional, courteous, and respectful manner

10. TY2011: What’s NewStandards of Conduct • Jake is a volunteer preparer in the VITA/TCE Programs. When preparing a return for Jill, Jake learns that Jill does not have an account to receive a direct deposit of her refund. Jake offers to use his account to receive the direct deposit, and says he will turn the money over to Jill once the refund is deposited. Is this an acceptable action under the program? a. Yes b. No

11. TY2011: What’s NewTax-Aide • Lots of stuff! • Standards of Professionalism • Incident Review Protocol • Volunteer recruitment through Portal • Milage-only expense through Portal • Nasty Budget Crunch (~25%) • Everyone must have a unique email address • No surveys (tear them off if using old envelopes) • Generic XP images, generic Win7 images • Printers can be fixed by same folks who provide toner • All volunteers, including new, may now take all tests online • May use public wifi networks for TWO

12. TY2011: What’s NewNH Tax-Aide • Computer allocation and distribution will be coordinated by TCS (Wayne) • Several ‘dead’ laptops will be replaced with new ones from national; Wayne has resurrected a couple others. • If wireless routers are needed, they can be supplied

13. TY2011: What’s NewTax-Aide • Standards of Professionalism dovetails with IRS’ standards of conduct, but encompasses treatment and expectations of volunteers as well as clients. Volunteers now agree to allow background checks...if someone can come up with the money. • Incident Protocol provides a path for handling when things go bad - including violations of the standards of professionalism. • Webinars and training available in December. • Anticipated use is low - on the order of ~35-50 nationwide • Example: if client says ‘you're going to hear from my lawyer’, start the protocol • Example: If a client or a volunteer has a heart attack, start the protocol

14. TY2011: What’s NewTax-Aide • Volunteer Recruitment • All new potential volunteers MUST be entered into portal system • Preferred method: Have the recruit enter their data • Acceptable alternative: DCs or LCs may enter the volunteer’s information • Now require an ID check on volunteers

15. TY2011: What’s NewTax-Aide

16. TY2011: What’s NewTax-Aide • Many reimbursements will be submitted via Portal (but not all) • LCs must generate their own flat-rate forms, rather than waiting for mailing from national (NH state policy) • Individuals may now file for milage through portal • Training available in January • History: 23% take no reimbursement; 35% take flat rate. Remainder constitute single largest item in tax-aide budget (~50%). There will be an option to take a lesser amount • NH will have same $300 milage ceiling as prior years w/o prior approval by SC. Approval deadline is Jan 15th.

17. TY2011: What’s NewTax-Aide • There is now a generic Win XP image that can be installed on pretty much any machine, and all security and software requirements are met • National has received a grant for 9,500 Win7 licenses, but will not generally be rolled out until next year.

18. IRS Update

19. New Hampshire AARP Tax-Aide Fall Meeting 2011 Thank you again!!!!!!

20. Volunteer Return Preparation Program (VRPP)VITA/TCE Sites New Hampshire • 68 free tax preparation Sites in New Hampshire • 14,072 tax returns prepared up 6.5% from 2010 • 56% returns filed single filers • 19% Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) returns • $3.67 million in EITC claimed • $17.1 million in refunds claimed • $2.08 million in balance due returns filed • 96% returns e-filed • 60% returns Direct Deposit up from 53% in 2010 • Encourage Direct Deposit & Direct Debit

21. SPEC Quality Initiative2012 • Ten Quality Site Requirements • Complete Interview/Intake and Quality review process • SPEC assistance visits • Stay within scope of VITA/TCE Program • Form 13614-C mandatory • Form 13614-C in TaxWise can be used • QSS site reviews by SPEC HQ • Unannounced visits in 2012

22. SPEC Quality Initiative 2012 (cont.) • TIGTA Shopping • SPEC QSS & Shopping Visits • Performed by SPEC HQ • Most Common tax law errors Filing Season 2011 • Investment income • Taxability of pension income and SS benefits • Itemized Deductions

23. Product Ordering Timeline • Training materials are scheduled to arrive the week of November 21st • All training products available now on irs.gov • All Sites should have Publication 3189 “Volunteer e-file Administration Guide” QSR #4 • Publication 4491 CD includes all printed training materials • Pub 4491 VITA/TCE Training Guide • Included pub 4491, 4491-W, 4012, 1278, & Test Form 6744 • Pub 4480 Link & Learn Taxes • Includes pub 4491-W, 4012 & Test Form 6744, CD of pub 4491

24. VITA/TCE Products FY 2012 • Expanded in scope tax topics • Link & Learn available November 14th • SPEC transitioning to electronic products by filing season 2014 • Form 13614-C revised • Web based evaluations • Pub 4491-X published electronically mid December for late tax law legislation • Optional e-modules on Link & Learn for those who have passed advanced module • Cancellation of debt • Health Savings Accounts

25. TaxWise Filing Season 2012 • TaxWise Online recommended where possible • Much less burden on Site Coordinator • Wireless not prohibited • Form 8879 retention requirement eliminated, taxpayer will retain signed copy • TaxWise Software shipped 11/28/2011

26. FS 2012 TaxWise Beginning with FS 2012, users have the ability to: • Switch between interview and form mode in TWO similar to Desktop • Allow Administrators to mandate use of interview mode • Setup up staging groups in TWO similar to Desktop. • Restrict preparers use of override • Moved the “efile” button to the top of screen • Added Control “E” function • TaxWise Webinars on Link & Learn Practice Lab

27. FS 2012 TaxWise Added: • New Reviewer role • Three new Prep Use Fields • Time out reminder • Included Form 13614C • Offering a Western Union Debit Card

28. Modernized e-file or MeF • Year round e-filing • Faster acknowledgements • Prior year returns • 2010 tax year during 2012 tax season • More plain language error conditions • Allow Adobe PDF attachments to tax returns • CCH began participating in MeF in 2011

29. Modernized e-file or MeF (cont.) • MeF is case sensitive • CCH recommends the use of CAPS lock throughout the preparation of the tax return • Punctuation or extra spaces on the Main Information sheet will cause validation errors • Special characters should not be used (i.e. hyphens, commas, periods)

30. FSA: Facilitated Self Assistance Tax preparation • The volunteer Program could not serve everyone who needs assistance if they all showed up • 70% of taxpayers can prepare their taxes on line at irs.gov for free but do not know how • Certified volunteer assists group of customers not one on one tax preparation • FSA an option in all 50 states • ICAN www.icanefile.org • Approved for New Hampshire

31. Community Based Partnerships / Coalitions • Community organizations coming together to provide: • Education and Outreach • Tax Preparation • Financial Education/Asset Building-make customers aware of what tax credits/resources are available • Why participate: AARP Tax-Aide is a key Partner • Resources may be available/volunteers/marketing • United Way is involved across New Hampshire and a key Partner • Six active Community Based Partnerships in NH

32. Community Based Partnerships Financial Education & AssetBuilding Tax Credit Awareness and Education Tax Preparation

33. Questions????? • 603-628-7531 • Gregg Woodes gregg.p.woodes@irs.gov • Joanne Yasika joanne.yasika@irs.gov • 603-628-7536 • Internal Revenue Service/SPEC 1000 Elm Street Suite 900 Manchester NH 03101

34. TY2011: What’s NewCoalition Partners • CA$H Coalition of New Hampshire now exists • A statewide organization to serve a variety of financial related public service organizations and help clients move from viewing us as an isolated transaction to part of their broader financial life. • Example of small business matching program

35. Volunteer Coordination • New Portal Features

36. Volunteer Recruitment System – the improved new way • Why? • To provide DCs with additional information about prospective volunteer experiences and qualifications • To allow leaders to refer potential volunteers to better matched supervisors • No need for DC/LC to send name, address, phone, e-mail notifications to ADS • To provide correct data entry BY prospective volunteers • To reduce the clerical workload of ADSs • To allow management to be aware of recruiting activity and training success • Marketing – to evaluate the sources of potential volunteers • Training – to be aware of when in the training process potential volunteers are determined no longer to be viable for an assignment • Ethical/Moral qualification – to determine the extent to which potential volunteers fail to become volunteers owing to an unacceptable criminal background or failure to agree to Standards of Conduct.

37. Processing Prospects 3. PVS (Harvey) routes the prospect to DC www.aarp.org/taxaide Prospect Volunteer Form • Volunteer Portal 2.  Auto E-mail toPVS 1.Prospective volunteer submits application online 6. Auto E-mail to prospect DC 5. DC reviews application, interviews the prospect and changes status to “Approve”, “No Match”, or “On Hold” 4. Auto e-mail to DC for assignment

38. Processing Prospects PVS Harvey VMIS • Volunteer Portal DC VMIS Prospect Records ADSVicki 7. DC reports certified new volunteers to ADS via e-mail 8. ADS process “Accepted” prospect to volunteer with “Process Prospect” in VMIS

39. 2012 • The AARP Tax-Aide web site has a shorter address, www.aarp.org/taxaide and is easier to locate using key word searches (AARP Tax-Aide, Volunteer Tax-Aide, etc) in Google. • Registration directions are available for a prospective volunteer. • DCs are allowed to change any status even after No Match and Accepted statuses are selected. • E-mails for 'No Match' continue to be worded negatively - Upon request, the ADS can go into VMIS directly and change prospective volunteers to "No Match" with out triggering an e-mail • Prospective Volunteer record does not identify the supervisor – if known include it in the notes when you approve a candidate.

40. Prospective Volunteer Recruitment System – DCs View Review Prospective Volunteer DC determines next steps

41. Status Codes (Red: New/Revised) • Submitted (Pending): means that an application has been received but no contact or action has yet been taken. • Routed to DC (Pending approval from DC): means the application has been routed to a DC but no contact or action has yet been taken. • DC Evaluating (In Progress): means that the application has been received by a decision maker and contact or a decision is in progress although no decision has yet been made. • Approve: means that the prospective volunteer has been approved to be scheduled for training AND training kits will be ordered. • No Match (Reject): means the prospective volunteer appears not to be a good fit for the AARP Tax-Aide program and the application has been rejected. To avoid the negative email sent out to the volunteer - Request the ADS to make this change • On Hold: means that the applicant may be suitable to become a Tax-Aide volunteer at a later date. • Duplicate: means that prospective volunteer has submitted more than one application to become a Tax-Aide volunteer • Unqualified: means that the prospective volunteer has not passed the Ethics Qualification Test or has not signed the Volunteer Standards of Conduct. • Accepted: means that the prospective volunteer has passed the Ethics Qualification Test, and has signed the Volunteer Standards of Conduct AND the volunteer can be processed into VMIS.

42. Computers • Wayne will coordinate statewide computer distribution • All DCs to gather needs from LCs • Keep Wayne’s life simple - assume he is blissfully ignorant of what you’ve done in the past, and as DC pass the consolidated information on to him - much cleaner than 50 LCs sending all kinds of stuff.