Anyone ever done volunteer income-tax prep?

[AustinKat]

I'm five months into my year off, and I'm finally getting around to volunteering. I'm going to be doing income-tax returns for low-income people, through a local organization. Has anyone ever done anything like this?

This same organization offers free one-on-one financial coaching to people who want it, on budgeting and credit repair and debt reduction and whatever else people need help with. When the tax season is over, I may see if I can get into doing that ('cause hey, eight or nine years on these boards, I've learned some stuff! :~) ).

[treehugger]

My husband is in training for that currently. He found out about the program from his accounting teacher and has taken 1 of the 2 (or 3?) IRS-led training sessions required to participate. I know this answer isn't that helpful, but he hasn't started doing it yet, but he's looking forward to it. If nothing else, it will be good experience for him as part of the business accounting degree he is currently pursuing.

[sweetana3]

A very valuable service. I retired from IRS and knew loads of our employees who volunteered. One even did scheduled home visits for the home bound.

You will meet a diverse group of people.

[Dhiana]

I have volunteered with VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance?) and I really learned a LOT about taxes, the tax system, and how many others view and feel about the tax system. Very informative, very helpful. I've wanted to continue with it but my schedule wont' allow it this year.

Also, I volunteered for the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society which provides some interest free loans to servicemembers and their families along with some budgeting advice. This was a really big eye opener! It was amazing the kinds of messes people's financial situations can become =0 I discovered how easy it is to make a small mismanagement decision and then hear how quickly it snowballed into multiple horrible decisions as if they were being led through Dante's Inferno! I learned a LOT about financial & budgeting decisions through my work as a caseworker.

I also learned a LOT about how bad companies and bad situations that are not of someone's making can make an otherwise financially healthy person suffer. This is where I learned a lot about how to be 'defensive' in regards to our own financial decisions.

Thanks for getting out there and volunteering!
Dhiana