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TAX SCHEDULING EVALUATIONJAN. – APR. 2014ProcessThis was the first year that 2-1-1 Information & Referral, hosted by Project Concern, scheduled tax appointments for the AARP site at Hills & Dales Lifetime Center in Dubuque, Iowa.Amanda at Operation New View prepared the print materials and listed 2-1-1 as the number to call for tax scheduling purposes. AARP volunteers created an Excel spreadsheet with dates, volunteers, and availability. Project Concern created a Google Doc spreadsheet with the information so it could be shared and edited in real time between AARP and Project Concern. Project Concern Field Placement served as the primary contact for tax calls, and three other Project Concern staff were trained on how to schedule the appointments. When clients called to schedule an appointment, their name and phone number was logged on to the Google Doc in their appointment time. If the appointment times were not convenient for the client, they were referred to St. Matthew Lutheran Church or Operation New View. Project Concern collected address, number in household, and approximate income (if known), as is collected for all 2-1-1 calls. The caller needs and referrals were logged. The information was logged into the IRIS database.When clients called with specific tax questions, Project Concern staff would either refer the client to talk to Amanda at Operation New View, or would contact Gary from AARP via phone or email, then call the client back with the necessary information. Project Concern did not give out Gary’s phone number or email to clients. When clients needed to speak directly to a specific tax aide, Project Concern would leave a message for the aide with Hills & Dales. Caller Needs ReportFrom January 11, 2014 through April 22, 2014, 760 calls (15.9% of all calls) had identified needs for tax organizations and services. This is an increase from the same time period in 2013, when only 6 calls (0.5% of all calls) had identified needs for tax organizations and services. Referrals Made (some calls receive multiple referrals)Hills & Dales Lifetime Center683Operation New View37St. Matthew Lutheran Church21Project Concern (tax site information)193TOTAL =SUM(ABOVE) 934 Opportunities As the first year of using 2-1-1 to schedule, some clients were confused about the process and still called Hills & Dales to schedule as they had done in the past. However, Hills & Dales provided the direct number to Project Concern, and over time this could be less of an issue. Also, some cell phones directed clients to the wrong call center. Again, having the direct number to Project Concern was useful. With little to no tax knowledge, Project Concern staff could not answer many questions that came in and had to refer those clients to call Amanda or leave a message for Gary. With some basic information or a training session before the scheduling began, staff could be more effective for volunteers.The dates on the EITC flyer were incorrect, listing Tuesday-Friday instead of Monday, Wednesday-Friday. This confused some clients. Significance According to Gary Mauritzon, AARP volunteer, AARP Dubuque completed over 2,100 returns this year, which was an increase of 10% from last year. For low-income individuals and families, earned income tax credit money can be vital to meet basic needs such as catching up on rent and utility bills or fixing a car. In 2002, IRS data indicated in Dubuque County, 20% of low-income returns received EITC at an average of $1,516. By providing tax information and free tax preparation sites, Project Concern, AARP, and Operation New View were able to provide residents of Dubuque, Delaware, and Jackson counties with an opportunity to receive this extra income. Report prepared by Mary McClure, Project Concern Field Placement StudentApril 23, 2014 ................
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