Real$ense Prosperity Campaign
Tax Preparer

Tax Preparer: A person who will be trained by either AARP Tax-Aide or the IRS to learn limited tax law and prepare taxes via a computer-based program (Tax Wise or Benefit Bank). This is a volunteer effort giving individuals a life skill and the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of fellow citizens. There are two different tax preparer opportunities:

VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) - Training will be 18-20 hours and will require passing an open-book IRS certification test plus working practice exercises. Volunteers will be asked to donate at least 30 hours between January 15 and April 15. VITA sites target families whose household income does not exceed $49,000. Real$ense operates VITA sites in the following counties: Duval, St. Johns, Nassau, Clay & Putnam. For more information on becoming a VITA Tax Preparer, please contact Linda Hemphill at 904.390.3237.

AARP Tax-Aide – Training will be 40 hours and require passing an open-book IRS certification test plus working practice exercises. Volunteers will be asked to donate 40 hours between February 1 and April 15 (10 weeks). Tax-Aide sites serve all low-to-middle income families but can serve those with incomes above $49,000. While helping people of all ages, Tax-Aide sites offer special attention to those 60 years of age and older. Sites are located in Duval, St. Johns, Flagler and Putnam counties. To learn more about volunteering with AARP, please contact Gene Bartels.
Outreach Specialist

Outreach Specialist: The person who helps fill speaking requests by local businesses or organizations. Outreach help educate and promote all services offered through Real$ense. Only a two-hour training is required to learn all aspects of Real$ense. Once trained, Outreach Specialists will receive e-mail requests for various speaking engagements and participation in community events. Volunteers only respond to the events they would like to help cover. All volunteers are provided with marketing materials/giveaways for any events in which they participate. For more information, please contact Kim Ouellette at 904-390-3276.
Client Greeter/Tax Site Greeter

The person who greets taxpayers as they enter a free tax preparation site. This position is also responsible for administering assessment tools that will help determine what additional services taxpayers are interested in and how to access them. Additional services available to clients include free financial education classes and enrollment in a matched-savings program where enrollees can take advantage of a $2 for $1 match. Time commitment includes at least 4 to 6 hours of training and at least 30 hours of volunteer time between January 15 and April 15. This person will perform the following tasks: Greet taxpayers and sign them in; Review taxpayers' paperwork to make certain they have all documents needed; keep the waiting room running smoothly. For more information on becoming a Client Greeter/Prosperity Coach, please contact Linda Hemphill at 904.390.3237.
Quality Review Specialist

A specialized position that requires at least two years of tax preparation experience as well as extra training in tax law and Tax Wise software. The QR Specialist will be asked to volunteer at least 40 hours between January 15 and April 15. The person in this position will review completed tax returns to make certain there are no glaring errors and that steps have not been missed. QR Specialists will also answer questions from newer tax preparers as necessary.
Tax Site Coordinator

The lead person at a tax preparation location. Time commitment of between 100 and 400 hours during the 5 month tax season. Two years recent experience as a VITA Tax Preparer required. This person will:

• Help recruit tax preparer volunteers
• Be trained on tax law and how to manage a tax site & volunteers
• Manage the process and operations during tax preparation
• Track and report the site statistics (numbers of returns prepared and refunds expected, etc.)
Advertising/PR Specialist

A professional who is willing to help with the RealSense Prosperity Campaign marketing message and PR/Advertising strategy pro bono. For more information, please contact Jeff Winkler at 904.390.3207.
Special Events Assistants

Several positions for people who like coordinating events. Position could include arranging for menus, sound equipment, tables, chairs, etc. for event. Time commitment is flexible. For more information, please contact Kim Ouellette at 904.390.3276.
Financial Education Trainer

A person who facilitates Money Smart, a financial education class for community members interested in learning how to better manage their wealth and assets. Time commitment includes attending a Train the Trainer session prior to teaching a class. For more information, please contact Lindsay Ferguson at 904.390.4008