From the Editor

Dear John,

As the year draws to a close, we’re reflecting on all that we’ve accomplished together over the past few years.

Our most notable success this year was the passing of the Taxpayer First Act that made the VITA Grant program permanent. And, most recently, the appropriations bill text that was just released by Congress includes $25 Million in funding for the VITA grant! We attribute our success on both fronts to your extraordinary engagement and advocacy.

Since the launch of our Network in 2015, we’ve grown from 700 members to more than 5,000! In that time, we’ve published resources on topics ranging from tax time savings (Start the Savings Conversation) to volunteer training (VITA-Train)! We have a lot in store for the upcoming year and we remain committed to providing the most valuable tools and resources for the community tax preparation field.

Before we turn the page on 2019, please be sure to share our newsletter and invite your partners to join the Taxpayer Opportunity Network to stay engaged with us throughout 2020!

Happy Holidays!
Rebecca M. Thompson
Project Director, Taxpayer Opportunity Network

"No amount of regretting can change the past, and no amount of worrying can change the future."

Roy T. Bennett

Spotlight: Enhanced Data Collection Project 2.0

Avid readers of the Monthly Update will know that the Taxpayer Opportunity Network is once again launching our Enhanced Data Collection Project. Last year, we received more than 14,000 anonymous client responses through which we’ve learned that 60% of VITA clients who receive a refund plan to save some of it and that a quarter of VITA clients couldn’t cover a $400 emergency expense. In the hopes of getting a more robust data sample, we are relaunching this project and we need your help! The survey used in this project gathers information about savings behaviors, financial well-being and more, all anonymously collected and reported! All you need to do is provide the EFINs of the sites and we’ll take care of the rest! The TON team will directly import the questions into your TaxSlayer Custom Questions, so you’ll only need to ask them as a part of the tax prep process. If you’re interested in joining this project, fill out this form to get started!

Updates from the Network

The Tax_Roundtable has Moved!
With the shutdown of Yahoo Groups, we moved the Tax Roundtable listserv to our new home at Groups.io! You can join the new listserv here!

New CFPB Report Released
The CFPB has released a new paper following its Tax Time Savings cohort of 75 VITA programs from 33 states and Washington, DC. This paper covers the newest findings from the cohort and the types of tools, resources and training that are on the cutting edge of the tax-time financial capability sphere.

America Saves Week 2020 is OPEN!
If you've participated in past America Saves Weeks, you know first-hand the impact that we can make by joining together. We're confident that America Saves Week 2020 is going to be the most impactful ever—but we need your support and participation to make it happen! Sign up for America Saves Week 2020!

Self-Employment Tax Calculator
The Center on Budget & Policy Priorities’ Get It Back Campaign and CASH Campaign of Maryland launched a new tool to help self-employed workers calculate their estimated tax payments.

Latest Tax Prep Dispatch

What's New with the Forms?
December 5, 2019

What's New?
November 5, 2019

I Hereby Pledge
October 4, 2019

Voter Registration at Tax Time
August 30, 2019

What's Going on with Form W-4?
July 25, 2019

Browse older editions of the Dispatch

Tools and Information for the Field

Updates from IRS and SPEC

Scanned Document Pilot
Time is running out! Sign up by December 31. TaxSlayer is launching year 2 of their scanned document/drop-off pilot! This pilot program enables you to safely and effectively store taxpayer source documents in the software so you can complete their return without going through the entire face-to-face process. If you’re interested, reach out to your relationship manager to sign up! This pilot is a great way to expand your capacity by incorporating drop-off into your site!

Site Coordinator Corner
The filing season is coming soon so be sure to get your site coordinator materials ready by going to the IRS SPEC Site Coordinator Corner here!

IRS SPEC Partner Webcast Schedule
Click here 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.

Reminder: TaxSlayer Suggestion Box
The VITA/TCE Suggestion Box is designed for you to share your feedback and ideas on the software that will assist you in servicing your taxpayers. Click here to submit your suggestions.

Learning Opportunities

Upcoming Learning Opportunities

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

Recent Webinars and Events

Don't Spin Your Wheels: VITA-Train Year 2 Launch

The VITA-Train has pulled out of the station! Check out this webinar to get the scoop on the most recent VITA-Train!

Lunch and Learn Series: Volunteer Management Software

Each hour-long session focused on both a peer-led lens and a presentation from the software vendor which culminated in an interactive question and answer session with attendees.

V for Voters and VITA

Find out more about the Voter Filer Registration project and how you can implement it at tax time and your site!