Volunteer Tax Preparer

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Prepare income taxes for low-income individuals with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program hosted by Self-Help Federal Credit Union, in West Oakland.

As a community development credit union, Self Help provides underserved individuals in Oakland the opportunity to enter the financial mainstream - often for the first time, build assets, and improve their economic situations.

At our tax site we provide an alternative to commercial tax preparation firms that charge tax payers excessive fees and encourage them to borrow their refunds at high interest rates. Your help is needed to permit hard-working families to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and receive all the refunds they are due.

All volunteers receive free training to become IRS-certified preparers. Training entails completing either a self-paced on-line course on tax law (estimated 25 hours) and then passing an on-line exam. In-person classroom training is also available for new volunteers.