NOTE: Prior to attending your first virtual training session with us, please ensure you have created an IRS Volunteer Account at www.LinkandLearnCertification.com and completed the 2021 Basic Certification or Advanced Certification.
TAX SEASON 2023
Thanks to the support of volunteers, Food Bank’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program filed taxes for over 7,000 New Yorkers in 2022, yielding over $12 million in refunds for our neighbors!
With tax season upon us, Food Bank proudly offers free tax filing assistance to our NYC neighbors across the five boroughs. We’ll be providing three different filing models this year:
- Contactless In-Person, with volunteers working onsite alongside other volunteers to file returns dropped off in advance by clients.
- Social Distanced In-Person, with volunteers working onsite alongside other volunteers to file returns dropped off same-day by clients.
- Virtual Tax Filing, with volunteers working remotely from their personal computers to help individuals file returns virtually.
NOTE: Volunteers *must* present proof of vaccination for in-person volunteer shifts.
Register for our upcoming info sessions to learn more about how you can become a Volunteer Tax Preparer with Food Bank!
Food Bank For New York City’s FREE citywide tax assistance program has put more than $1 billion back into the pockets of low-income New Yorkers. We rely on dedicated volunteers to support this impactful anti-poverty work. No financial experience needed – volunteers of all professional backgrounds welcome!
AS A VOLUNTEER TAX PREPARER, YOU’LL HAVE THE CHANCE TO:
Info sessions and training dates will be available in late fall 2022. Sign-up here to receive 2023 VITA updates!
Check back here in December 2022 for training dates.
Work through the certification modules at your convenience. We estimate you’ll need between 10-15 hours to complete them all – which you can take straight through or break up into increments that work for you! Once you’ve completed the modules, you must complete these three Link & Learn exams on the IRS website: 1) Volunteer Standards of Conduct Exam, 2) Intake/Interview and Quality Review Exam, 3) Basic Exam.
We've Got Study Guide Videos To Help You Prepare!
These free videos will help you prepare for the three required certification exams – be sure to reference them as you study!
View Videos HereDownload Our Vita Volunteer Essential Links Toolkit
This sheet contains links to all the VITA, IRS Certification, and Study Guide resources you may need to help you get started.
Download HereEmail your passing test results to us at taxvolunteer@foodbanknyc.org prior to starting your virtual Food Bank training (which you signed up for in Step 1).
Attend the virtual Food Bank training(s) you registered for in Step 1 and begin serving with VITA!