Certifications
Policy Manual - OneSupport [General
Program Management][General]
TAX-AIDE
TAX-AIDE
Volunteers must annually
● Attend Volunteer Site Policies and Procedures
presentation/training by Tax-Aide including the
AARP Foundation Standards of Professionalism
and Incident Reporting Protocol
● Attend IRS Volunteer Standards of Conduct
training
● Pass the IRS Volunteer Standards of Conduct
test with at least 80% correct answers
● Sign the Volunteer Agreement (IRS form 13615)
● Attend Quality review presentation
TAX-AIDE
Instructor Workshop - 2014
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Counselors, ERO, Instructors, Training
Coordinators, Training Specialist
● As a minimum, pass a technical tax law
test at the advanced level with a score of
80% or better to certify to prepare or
quality review tax returns.
● Separate optional training material and
tests will remain for:, Health Savings
Accounts, and Military Certification
TAX-AIDE
Instructor Workshop - 2014
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Counselors are required to complete:
● Hands-on training in TaxWise, and satisfactorily
complete a minimum number of practice
returns in the course of training as defined by
the SC and implemented by the TRS
 For 2014 Tax Season all Arizona counselors are
required to prepare the following 4 Practice
Problems including ACA Addenda. Available in
the OneSupport Help Center [Tax Training]


Clark, Scott, Meadows and Holmes.
SCs may waive this requirement in
extraordinary circumstances
TAX-AIDE
Instructor Workshop - 2014
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Instructor Certification
● Instructors must be certified for the tax
year that corresponds with the tax law
being taught in volunteer training classes
● If prior year tax law and software is being
used in class, the Instructor must have
been certified for that prior year
● Instructors must successfully complete
current year certification prior to training
volunteers for current year tax preparation
TAX-AIDE
Instructor Workshop - 2014
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Volunteer Agreement forms
● Must show the tests passed and be signed by
an Approving Official (Instructor or other
certified designee)
● Approving Official must be satisfied of the
identity of the volunteer either through
previous personal contact or by examining a
government issued photo identification
● Certification tests must be graded or
reviewed and approved by Instructors who
are certified for the current tax year. The
state SPEC office may be contacted to certify
the TRS
TAX-AIDE
Instructor Workshop - 2014
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Summary from the ADS
● Instructor/supervisors have to sign as approving officials.
● Make sure all applicable blocks on the 13615 are checked, if
fulfilled.
● Each district should establish a procedure were those
approved 13615s be sent to the LC and ADS (Sandy Liska)
● Each instructor/supervisor should know how to
electronically sign an electronic 13615.
● Instructors are not required to keep the 13615s at the site.
However, there is nothing wrong with keeping them.
● The ADS will provide a list of certified volunteers in
electronic form.
● Any Instructor/Supervisor can contact the ADS at any time
for any assistance.
TAX-AIDE
Instructor Workshop - 2014
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Certifications
QUESTIONS????
Suggestions????
TAX-AIDE
TRS Webinar October 2014
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