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Louisville Asset Building Coalition (LABC)Virtual VITA Intake and Tax Preparation Model2019-2020 Tax SeasonIntroductionLABC would like to expand the opportunities provided through a virtual VITA program offered during the 2019 filing season. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, LABC’s in-person VITA services are extremely limited. LABC’s primary intent of this plan is to provide additional tax preparation options through a fully virtual platform. Through this model, LABC will maintain three key tenets of in-person VITA services: 1) Accessibility of Services, 2) Client Privacy and Confidentiality 3) Uphold the IRS Quality Site Requirements. Additionally, this plan is drafted to comply with the measures outlined in Publication 4396-A and Publication 4299. Volunteer Training RequirementsIRS volunteer training requirements apply to all individuals involved in LABC’s virtual VITA program. Due to the new nature of this model, LABC requires that volunteers must be certified at the Advanced level to participate in the Virtual VITA program. Tax preparers who choose to participate in the virtual VITA program must also complete a mandatory training concerning LABC’s virtual VITA procedures outlined below. Primary Software Programs and Security Measures UsedAcuity Online Appointment Scheduling System is the primary software used for the client to make an appointment and upload both their personal information and tax documents. LABC subscribes to the Power Plan, which provides a scheduling platform that complies with the HIPPA Security Rule and the PCI Security Standards Council.DocHub is used to send accessible sign requests for taxpayers to e-sign Form 14446 and Form 8879. DocHub is encrypted end-to-end and all files are stores in Amazon Web Services using encrypted S3 storage. Adobe Acrobat is used to encrypt and password-protect the taxpayer’s completed tax return before it is emailed to the client. Personal client information used during the tax preparation process is deleted from the above software once the return has been accepted by the IRS. Hardware Used and Security MeasuresTax preparers, quality reviewers, and site coordinators will use LABC provided laptops that are up-to-date and secured through Windows Defender. Personal client information used during the tax preparation process is deleted from the above hardware once the return has been accepted by the IRS. Intake ProcessAll taxpayers participating in LABC’s virtual VITA program will need to schedule two appointments, one for intake and one for the quality review. The traditional intake process will be completed in two parts: First when the client schedules their intake appointment, and second when the client begins their initial appointment with their volunteer tax preparer. The client initiates the process by scheduling an appointment for a specific date and time on the LABC website through the secure Acuity Online Appointment Scheduling System.After selecting a date and time, the client will complete a modified version of Form 13614-C, Intake/Interview & Quality Review Sheet through the Acuity platform. The modified version of this form preserves the integrity of Form 13614-C. To make the form easy to use and accessible to clients, three main modifications are made. For each of the listed modifications, the tax preparer will verbally review the omitted portions during an over the phone interview with the client. The marital status section omits the additional entries found in Part II, questions 1a and 1b of Form 13614-C. The tax preparer will review this information with the client verbally before beginning the return. The dependent section omits the additional entries found in Part II, questions 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g, 2h, and 2i. Clients will still indicate the first and last name of any members of their household that meet the criteria listed under question 2. Clients that list names in the modified intake form will then be sent a follow-up form with questions 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g, 2h, and 2i. Clients will be required to submit this form before the return is started, and the tax preparer will also review the completed form with the client during the initial appointment. The Additional Information and Questions Related to the Preparation of Your Return section is omitted. Tax preparers will verbally review this section with clients during the initial appointment. The taxpayer will then upload their required identification and tax documents to the security Acuity system. The taxpayer will review the previously submitted information and appointment time and will be sent a confirmation of their intake appointment. Once the taxpayer confirms the appointment, the taxpayer and the site coordinator will be notified via email.The site coordinator will review the taxpayers submitted responses. They will check to ensure that the client has completed all sections appropriately and submitted the required personal information and tax forms. The site coordinator will send the taxpayer a copy of Form 14446 to be completed and signed digitally via DocHub. Taxpayers will be not be allowed to schedule their quality review appointment until this is completed. The site coordinator will track submission of Form 14446 through an external spreadsheet.The site coordinator will send the supplemental form for taxpayers with possible dependents as outlined in 2.a.ii of this proposal. Taxpayers will be not be allowed to schedule their quality review appointment until this is completed. The site coordinator will track the submission of the supplemental form through an external spreadsheet. Clients will be contacted via phone it is time for their appointment. During that time, the tax preparer will review the completed Intake and Interview form with the client and ensure it matches the uploaded tax information. During this time, the tax preparer will review the marital status and additional information sections of Form 13614-C as outlined in section 2.a.i. and 2.a.iii. of this proposal. The tax preparer will also The tax preparer will also ensure that clients have e-signed and completed Form 14446 by checking the external spreadsheet. Once the interview is completed and it has been verified that the taxpayer has completed Form 14446, the taxpayer will then schedule a follow-up appointment for the client. These appointments will be scheduled for the following day if possible. If the taxpayer is unable to schedule an appointment for the following day, the QR should be scheduled more than one week out. Only the preparer has access to schedule the follow-up appointment. Tax PreparationThe designated tax preparer will review the forms and complete the tax return in Tax Slayer as appropriate. The client will be contacted by the tax preparer only in those situations where the information is incomplete and/or the tax preparer has additional questions for the client.Any questions, comments, or additional information received will be noted in TaxSlayer and on the external spreadsheet. The Return stage will be marked ‘Ready for Review’ upon completion.The tax preparer will notify the quality reviewer upon completion of the tax return.The quality reviewer will begin an initial review of the tax return and will ensure that all documents have been entered correctly. Quality Review and Transmission of ReturnWhen it is time for the taxpayer’s follow-up appointment, the quality reviewer will ask the taxpayer to create a password to protect their return. The quality reviewer will download the return from TaxSlayer and will password protect the return using Adobe Acrobat.The quality reviewer will send the password-protected return to the taxpayer via secure email. The quality reviewer will review the return with the client, ensuring that all forms have been entered in completely and that the client understands their refund or amount owed for both the federal and state tax return. Once the review is completed, the quality reviewer will send a sign request via doc hub for Form 8879.Once Form 8879 has been signed, the quality reviewer will e-file the return and the appointment will end. The quality reviewer will delete any of the client’s personal information from their LABC computer. The site coordinator will delete Form 14446 and Form 8879 from DocHub once the return has been accepted by the IRS ................
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