Volunteers
Join us!
Join Us & Get Involved!
Fall 2024 applications are now closed! However, we will be recruiting in Winter 2025, so keep an eye out for our next recruitment cycle if you are interested in volunteering with VITA.
Please note that we are only able to recruit from the UCLA student body, either undergraduate and graduate students. Unfortunately, we are currently unable to accept UCLA Extension students due to UCLA policy.
If you are a returning volunteer and would like to join us for the 2024-2025 academic year and 2025 tax season, please note that the interest form has now closed. Please email us if you still are interested in being a returning volunteer.
If you have any questions, feel free to email vitauclavolunteer@gmail.com.
Fall 2024 applications will open on Monday, September 23th, 2024 12:00 AM (Week 0)!
They will be due Saturday, October 5th, at 11:59 PM PT. Please apply if you are interested in volunteering with VITA at UCLA. If you are returner, you have until Sunday, October 13th, at 11:59 PM PT.
Join us for our info session on Wednesday, October 2nd (Week 1), at 6:00 PM PT in Boelter Hall Room 3400 to learn more.
Please note that we are only able to recruit from the UCLA student body. Unfortunately, we are currently unable to accept UCLA Extension students due to UCLA policy.
Fall cohort training sessions begin in Week 2. There will be two in-person training session dates/options to choose from: Wednesdays from 6:00PM – 7:50PM and Sundays from 5:00PM – 6:50PM.
If you are a returning volunteer and would like to join us for the 2024-2025 academic year and 2025 tax season, please complete the returner’s interest form below by Sunday, October 13th, at 11:59 PM PT.
If you have any questions, feel free to email vitauclavolunteer@gmail.com.
We look forward to reviewing your application!
Winter 2024 applications will open on Tuesday, December 19, 2023 8:00 AM.
They will be due Friday, January 12th, at 11:59 PM PT. Please apply if you are interested in volunteering with VITA at UCLA.
Please note that we are only able to recruit from the UCLA student body. Unfortunately, we are currently unable to accept UCLA Extension students due to UCLA policy.
Winter cohort training sessions begin in Week 2. Mandatory in-person training sessions will take place on Wednesdays from 6:00PM – 8:00PM in Boelter 5249 during Winter Quarter Weeks 2-6.
If you have any questions, feel free to email vitauclavolunteer@gmail.com.
We look forward to reviewing your application!
Winter 2024 Interest Form
Returners’ Interest Form
Fall 2023 Application
Winter 2024 Application
Returner’s Interest Form
Info Session Slides
Why Join?
Build A Foundation
VITA at UCLA equips our members with useful tax education to encourage high-quality, professional growth. All VITA members undergo tax training and become IRS-certified before delving into project work.
Learn Through Experience
VITA offers its members the opportunity to experience professional interaction with clients in a real-life, hands-on setting. We encourage direct exposure to the tax filing process for our members to hone their interpersonal skills.
Establish a Community
Alongside giving back to UCLA’s surrounding community and helping those in need, VITA volunteers have the chance to build long-lasting relationships with fellow volunteers and network + talk about their VITA experiences with professionals from various tax and accounting firms.
Recruitment Timeline
VITA hosts two recruiting cycles each academic year, during the Fall and Winter Quarters. All majors and backgrounds are encourages to apply.
If you have any questions, feel free to email vitauclavolunteer@gmail.com.
Winter 2023
Applications Due
Thursday, Jan. 19th
11:59PM PT
Make sure to submit your application by the deadline above through our Google Form, linked below. Scroll down for more information.
Fall 2024
Enormous Activities Fair
Tuesday, Sept. 24th
11:00AM-3:00PM PT
Check us out at the UCLA Enormous Activities Fair explore your interests in taxes and passions in volunteering. Learn how you can be a part of VITA by visiting us at our booth!
Location: Wilson and Royce Plaza
Info Session
Wednesday, Oct. 2nd
6:00PM-8:00PM PT
Join us at our info session to learn more about the recruitment and training process, explore opportunities in accounting and taxes, and speak with our board members about their experience with VITA.
Applications Due
Saturday, Oct. 5th
11:59PM PT
Make sure to submit your application by the deadline above through our Google Form, linked below. Scroll down for more information.
Applications will be released by Monday, October 7, 2024 at 11:59PM!
Volunteer Overview
VITA opens volunteer applications for UCLA students at the beginning of the Fall and Winter quarters. Prior experience in tax preparing is not required and all majors are welcome to apply!
Volunteers will be equipped to file tax returns through extensive, interactive training sessions. Volunteers will learn about general tax concepts and tax situations for low-income, international, and elderly clients. Additionally, training sessions will include tax client simulations in order to train volunteers for client interactions.
- For Fall volunteers, 6 training sessions will take place from Weeks 2 to 7 (no training on week 8).
- For Winter volunteers, trainings are condensed into a 5-week course from Weeks 2 to 6.
Tax sites will last from the end of January to mid-April.
Fall Info Session – Presentation Slides
Training Information
For Fall Quarter, mandatory weekly training sessions will take place in person in Boelter Hall 3400 on Wednesdays from 6:00 – 7:50 PM PT and in Kerckhoff Hall State Rooms (131-135) on Sundays from 5:00 – 6:50 PM PT, with office hours after each training session!
Please note that you only have to attend one of the two training session options each week and that attendance will be taken at which ever one you choose.
For Winter Quarter, mandatory weekly training sessions will take place in person on Wednesdays from 6:00 – 7:50 PM PT, with office hours after each training session! The training location will be announced shortly.
Please check the Volunteer Portal for meeting links and additional volunteer resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Recruitment
What if I have no experience working with taxes?
No worries! Prior experience in taxes is not required at all. We provide you all the necessary training during Fall or Winter quarter.
Do I have to be a particular major to apply?
No — we accept all majors and minors!
How many volunteers do you accept?
We do not have a maximum cap for volunteers. If you are passionate about service and interested in learning more about taxes, we want you!
What is the expected time commitment?
Fall cohort volunteers are required to attend mandatory training sessions each week in the Fall Quarter and Winter Quarter and complete weekly assignments (approx. 2 hours/week), as well as take the IRS certification exams during the Winter Break (approx. 2-5 hours).
Winter cohort volunteers are required to attend mandatory training sessions each week in the Winter Quarter and complete weekly assignments (approx. 2-3 hours/week), as well as take the IRS certification exams at the end of the Winter Quarter (approx. 2-5 hours).
All volunteers are required to volunteer throughout the tax season in the Winter Quarter and Spring Quarter, from mid-January to mid-April (approx. 2-4 hours/week).
We also host various social and professional development events during training sessions and throughout the year for volunteers to attend.
Training
When are the training sessions?
This year, we will conduct mandatory in-person training for the Fall Quarter on Wednesdays from 6:00 – 7:50 PM PT at Boelter Hall 3400 and Sundays from 5:00 – 6:50 PM PT at Kerckhoff Hall State Rooms (131-135). Please note that you only need to attend one of the two sessions each week. We will conduct mandatory in-person training for the Winter Quarter on Wednesdays from 6:00 – 7:50 PM PT. Room assignment for Winter Quarter will be announced shortly.
Training sessions are mandatory to attend, and attendance will be marked. Training presentation slides and other resources will be posted on the Volunteer Portal.
What are the training requirements?
We require new volunteers to attend the mandatory in-person training sessions. Participation will be credited through attendance quizzes at the end of each training session. Additionally, volunteers will be required to complete weekly quizzes that recap the past week’s material and must earn an average of 70% overall. Additionally, volunteers must take and pass the IRS certification exams prior to handling any tax returns from clients.
Returning volunteers are strongly encouraged (but not required) to attend these new volunteer training sessions to review tax material. However, returning volunteers are required to participate in the returning volunteer training session in Week 7, on Wednesday, November 13th, from 6:00PM – 7:50PM OR Sunday, November 17th, 2024, from 5:00PM – 6:50PM.
Will the training materials be posted?
Yes, we will post all of our training materials online for review shortly before the training date. Please check your emails and the Volunteer Portal for updates!
Note: Training sessions will NOT be recorded. In-person attendance is mandatory.
Quality Reviewer
What is a Quality Reviewer (QR)?
A Quality Reviewer’s job is to audit a volunteer’s tax return for accuracy. After a volunteer completes a tax return, a QR is required to review the return for inconsistencies or missing information.
To become a QR, you must be a current volunteer and pass the Advanced and Foreign Student IRS VITA Certification tests. QR interest forms will be sent out to our official volunteers through email sometime in the Fall Quarter (around early November).
Tax Site
How do we volunteer if COVID-19 guidelines change in 2025?
VITA at UCLA operations remain fully in-person for the 2025 tax season. If COVID-19 guidelines change well into the tax season and require us to transition to remote services, volunteers will provide tax preparation services via privacy-secured video conferencing software and scheduling platforms.