Perth Amboy Community Tax Preparation - Tax Preparers & Tax preparer assistants - Needed for the IRS Annual Filing Season (VITA Tax program.
Please register to be automatically notified when the workshop schedules planned for October & November are posted.
United Way will provide FREE training for all volunteers interested in participating in the 2026 annual filing season. Convenient daytime & evening hours available for both training & filing season engagement.
Requirements:
Commit to a minimum of 3 - 5 hour weekly during the tax filing season (February 1 - April 30, 2025)
Complete the IRS certification timely after training
Volunteers will use techniques learned during training to conduct efficient Intake Interviews; will review best practices for protecting taxpayer's personal information during our Ethics & Quality Review session; will learn to apply the appropriate tax laws in determining the correct filing status for clients; will be able to determine qualifying dependents on parent's tax returns; will be able to differentiate among the types of income, (taxable vs non-taxable, earned vs unearned); become familiar with the popular credits and deductions available for working parents with dependents. Students will also receive hands-on training in navigating Taxslayer, our professional tax software through simulation returns practice. Workshops also incorporate online training for homework review and practice problems.
Volunteers may volunteer at any one or more of United Way community host sites at the Perth Amboy Library, the Family Financial Opportunity Center at 313 State Street and in the neighboring townships of Carteret and South Amboy.
Volunteers will work in group settings, will learn focusing on detail skills, will enhance their interpersonal skills, prepare their own & family returns, give back to their community.
Workshops planned months are October & November 2025
Sessions: Convenient Day & Evening from 12-15 hours over 3 - 4 days.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Millions of low-to-moderate-income taxpayers rely on free, basic tax preparation each year, and thousands of ordinary VITA volunteers like you prepare these returns! The United Way of Central Jersey (UWCJ) needs you on its tax prep team for 2026!
Last season 196 volunteers including 114 students (college and high school) were among our certified preparers that participated in this critical asset-building engagement. Collectively over 4,000 returns were prepared. The results - Over $2 million in refunds returned to taxpayers in the community in the form of credits and refunds. Volunteers saved taxpayers collectively over $500,000 in tax preparation fees.
United Way of Central Jersey teams up with the IRS and community partners each year to provide free tax services through VITA. United Way and its collaborators are the leading providers of volunteer income tax assistance in Middlesex County.
"This service is aimed at low and moderate-income taxpayers," said Gloria Aftanski, President of United Way of Central Jersey.
The IRS partners with United Way to direct a coalition of community partners in order to increase the reach of the VITA.
The Middlesex County, NJ VITA Coalition is recruiting new/additional volunteers in various capacities to help with this effort. Volunteers must complete certification timely and be ready to start by February 1, 2026, through April 30, 2026.
United Way of Central Jersey is located at 32 Ford Avenue in Milltown NJ 08850
Volunteer Positions:
Tax Preparer: Advanced or Basic (Prepare returns, Quality review returns)
Prepare Federal & State returns. Volunteers receive hands-on training using a professional tax software. (3 certifications needed). Guidance provided by tax professionals & experienced IRS Certified tax preparers.
Tax Preparer Assistant (Greet clients, conduct Intake Interview, assist limited English proficiency clients with translation)
Review intake form for completion. Conduct taxpayer interviews to gather additional information, assist with translations (bi-lingual Spanish volunteers needed), assist client with retrieving online statements, review simple completed returns with clients. Training is provided. Only the first 2 certifications are needed.
Certifications requirements:
Ethics Certification
Intake/Interview & Quality Review Certification
Advance Level Certification or Basic Level Certification (first time preparers)
