What is the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program?
Our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) provides free tax return preparation for low-to-moderate income Hunterdon County area residents. In 2024, 70 volunteers in our community helped to file 1,695 returns, resulting in more than $1.8 million in refunds to Hunterdon County residents and employees. Regionally, United Way volunteers at other affiliates prepared 10,000+ tax returns and helped residents get back $12.5 million in refunds.
Volunteers are the backbone of this program. Our volunteers help ensure that our hardworking neighbors who are in poverty or living paycheck to paycheck as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) get back every dollar they are due - putting them on a path to financial stability.
What volunteer opportunities are available?
- Tax preparers
- Facilitator (Appointment scheduling and Administrative support)
Who can volunteer for this program?
- Volunteers with availability between December to April
- Volunteers who prefer weekday, weekend, daytime or evening hours
- Adults with experience in tax preparation-
- Adults who would like free training to become a volunteer IRS-certified income tax preparer
- Adults who would like to be provide administrative help with the program (Facilitator)
What traits are you looking for in a volunteer?
This program prioritizes volunteers with backgrounds in accounting and finance but know that we do have training for any adult with the capacity to learn how to become an IRS trained income tax preparer. We also encourage individuals with scheduling experience to help us in our administrative roles. We have high need for Spanish-speaking volunteers, especially to help with translation during client intake sessions.
For VITA volunteers working directly with clients, we ask that you are patient, kind, and that you serve all clients with dignity and respect that is free of bias or discrimination.
We believe every United Way community member, donor, volunteer, advocate, and employee has an obligation to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion and be actively anti-racist in their thoughts, work, and actions. We ask that all volunteers read and respect our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement of Principle.
If you have any additional questions, please reach out to us at taxes@uwhunterdon.org or call 908-237-1689 ext. 129.