Volunteers
Join us!
Join Us & Get Involved!
Fall 2023 applications are now closed! However, we will be recruiting in Winter 2024, 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 have any questions, feel free to email vitauclavolunteer@gmail.com.
Fall 2023 applications will open on Monday, September 25th, 2023 12:00 AM (Week 0)!
They will be due Friday, October 6th, at 11:59 PM PT. Please apply if you are interested in volunteering with VITA at UCLA.
Join us for our info session on Tuesday, October 3rd (Week 1), at 7:00 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 7:00PM – 8:00PM and Sundays from 7:00PM – 8:00PM.
If you are a returning volunteer and would like to join us for the 2023-2024 academic year and 2024 tax season, please complete the below returners’ interest form by October 15th.
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!
Why Join?
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 2023
Enormous Activities Fair
Tuesday, Sept. 26th
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!
Info Session
Tuesday, Oct. 3rd
7:00PM-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
Friday, Oct. 6th
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 on Monday, September 25th, 2023, at 12:00AM!
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), with an additional 2 weeks of training during Winter quarter from Weeks 1 to 2.
- 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.
Training Information
For Fall Quarter, mandatory weekly training sessions will take place in person in Boelter 5249 on Wednesdays from 6:00 – 7:50 PM PT and in Ackerman Viewpoint Conference Room (A201A&B) on Sundays from 6:00 – 7:50 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 in Boelter 5249 on Wednesdays from 6:00 – 7:50 PM PT, with office hours after each training session!
Please check the Volunteer Portal for meeting links and additional volunteer resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Recruitment
No worries! Prior experience in taxes is not required at all. We provide you all the necessary training during Fall or Winter quarter.
No — we accept all majors and minors!
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!
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
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 5249 and Sundays from 6:00 – 7:50 PM PT at Ackerman Viewpoint Conference Room (A201A&B). 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 at Boelter Hall 5249.
Training sessions are mandatory to attend, and attendance will be marked. Training presentation slides and other resources will be posted on the Volunteer Portal.
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 9 on Wednesday, November 29th, 2023, from 6:00 – 8:00 PM PT in Boelter 5249.
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
A Quality Review’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
While we return to fully in-person VITA at UCLA services for the 2024 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.