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Dear John,

Some days it is hard to believe that it is still the year 2020. We sincerely hope that you and yours are faring well in these challenging times. We’ve made it thus far, through all the tumult this year, and not surprisingly, we somehow still managed to have an incredible filing season. I hope you’ve taken a moment to pause, take a deep breath, reflect and get some rest, because the work isn’t over just yet! Just as one very extended filing season rolls into the next, so must our work continue, as we leverage resources and the talent and time of our volunteers to help low-to-moderate income families and individuals in our communities navigate the complex tax system to get the benefits they’re entitled to. There are a couple of great events coming up in this abbreviated off-season to help you prepare for the next one. First, the 2020 Prosperity Summit will be September 30 to October 2. You don’t want to miss out on this unique opportunity to get the full Prosperity Summit experience from the comfort of your own home or office! Second, in a great webinar after the Prosperity Summit, we’ll share our insights after the inaugural VITA Leadership Institute cohort and how the lessons learned from the VLI cohort can help to strengthen your program. You won’t want to miss out on either of these events, keep reading for more details!

See you at the Summit!

Rebecca M. Thompson, Associate Director, Field Engagement & TON

When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.

—John Lewis

Spotlight: Virtual Summit Registration

The 2020 Prosperity Summit [[link removed]] is officially an entirely virtual event! Join us from September 30 to October 2 for this unique event. This event will still feature unique plenaries, deep-dive learning sessions, and all of the networking you’d expect at our Summit! We’ve got several tax-focused events on tap, including: Extending our Reach and Impact: Merging Tax Time and Public Benefits Access and Scaling Tax Prep with Partnerships and Technology. In addition, registrants will have continued access to any recordings, handouts, and other materials for the six months after the live event. This Virtual Summit is a unique engagement opportunity, so you don’t want to miss out! Register today [[link removed]]!

Updates from the Network

Prosperity Now Grant Announcements

Prosperity Now is proud to announce two grants through the generous sponsorship of the Citi Foundation [[link removed]] and Blue Meridian Partners [[link removed]]. Please check out our blog posts for more information on these two great initiatives and how they will help the community tax preparation field going forward.

CFPB EIP Guide

The CFPB just released a new guide [[link removed]] on connecting consumers to the Economic Impact Payment. This guide will help your organization connect with clients who require assistance on their EIP. It’ll have tools for discussing the payment with the client, determining next steps, and troubleshooting common questions. Check out the toolkit [[link removed]] today!

Stimulus Payments Outreach Toolkit

Governors leading COVID-19 response efforts and state health and human services agencies that administer assistance programs are uniquely positioned to reach the estimated 12 million people eligible for stimulus payments who will not get them automatically. To help inform these non-filers through already established communication channels, CBPP released a toolkit [[link removed]] with templates for online outreach, earned media, scripts, graphics, and more. While geared toward state agencies and officials, the materials can be used by anyone conducting stimulus payments outreach. The toolkit will also be available in Spanish.

Stimulus Payments Outreach Webinar Recording

View the recording and slides [[link removed]] from the Get It Back Campaign’s webinar on resources and strategies for conducting stimulus payments outreach.

Tools and Information for the FieldUpdates from the IRS and SPEC

Breaking IRS Updates

To stay informed on the most recent IRS updates on the COVID-19 outbreak and the associated Economic Impact Payments, you can go directly to their tax relief page [[link removed]]!

News Updates: Form 1040-X E-File

Taxpayers will now be able to file the Form 1040-X for amended returns! Given the current environment, this is invaluable for clients! Please read the IRS press release here [[link removed]].

IRS SPEC Partner Webcast Schedule

Click here [[link removed]] to get the full 2020 schedule for IRS SPEC Partner Webcasts to ensure that you stay up-to-date on the latest news and resources from IRS SPEC.

TaxSlayer Suggestion Box [[link removed]]

Do you have thoughts or ideas on how TaxSlayer could be improved to help you run your sites more efficiently and make it easier to prepare and file more quality returns? Share them in the VITA/TCE Suggestion Box [[link removed]]. Your feedback is needed for both federal and state returns, as well as reports.

Learning

OpportunitiesUpcoming Learning Opportunities

Helping Consumers Claim the Economic Impact Payment Webinar [[link removed]]

September 8, 2020 | 3 – 4:30 PM ET

This webinar will guide you through the newest CFPB guide for intermediary organizations connecting clients to the Economic Impact Payment. This guided webinar features question and answer on the latest guide with the CFPB experts.

VITA Leadership Institute Year One Analysis [[link removed]]

October 22, 2020 | 1 – 2 PM ET

After a successful VITA Leadership Institute, we want you to join us in sharing our results and how we plan on moving forward! This is a can’t-miss event for newer programs wanting to get an inside look at all aspects of a great VITA program!

If you have ideas for future learning events, stories or resources, contact us at  [email protected] [[link removed]].

Recent Webinars and Events

TON COVID-19 Listening Session [[link removed]]

April 28, 2020

We’ve broken down the most impactful resources from our national partners around COVID-19 as well as the new GetYourRefund.org virtual VITA pilot.

Evaluating Tax Time Savings Behaviors [[link removed]]

Have you ever wondered what tax time savings and behaviors look like on the national scale? Well, wonder no more because the Taxpayer Opportunity Network is here to provide you with the answers!

Latest Tax Prep Dispatch

The Shrinking Offseason [[link removed]]

July 1, 2020

Reset Button [[link removed]]

May 1, 2020

Non-Filers 101 [[link removed]]

April 15, 2020

Alternative Service Delivery Tips! [[link removed]]

April 6, 2020

Signed, Sealed, Delivered? [[link removed]]

March 30, 2020

The Drop-Off Process [[link removed]]

March 19, 2020

COVID-19 and VITA [[link removed]]

March 13, 2020

Browse older editions of the Dispatch [[link removed]]

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