2013 Tax-Aide District Administrative Duties/Responsibilities Using Portal Applications Tools
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2013 Administrative Duties 1. Updating Volunteer and Site Information 2. Ordering Site Materials 3. Certification Reporting and Volunteer Conversion 4. Reporting Site Activity 5. Managing Expense Reimbursement DCs may appoint an Administration Coordinator (AC) to assist with some of these duties 2012 Fall State Tax-Aide Meetings - Operations
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Updating Volunteer Record • DC/LC must ensure volunteer roster information is accurate for national and state communications, Portal application access and reimbursement purposes. • Critical volunteer information: Email, Phone #, Address, Supervisory assignment, Titles. • Email is required for all leaders and every effort should be made to get email for existing volunteers. Emails must be unique and can not be shared with another volunteer or member of AARP. • Use District Portal tools for address updates. Email changes must be sent to ADS. 2012 Fall State Tax-Aide Meetings - Operations
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Adding New Volunteer Record • New volunteer must have a prospect record in Volunteer Recruitment System and status set to “Accepted” in order for ADS to create a volunteer record with ID. ADS can no longer enter a prospect or volunteer directly • Email is required for all new volunteers • For new volunteers provide title and supervisor
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Updating Volunteer Record Portal Update Options Update Profile All volunteers can update their mailing Address & Residential Phone number Manage Address Supervisors can update addresses (Mailing , Residential, Seasonal)of direct subordinates 2012 Fall State Tax-Aide Meetings - Operations
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Updating Site Records • Accurate site information is critical to being able to order TaxWise software and for Activity Reporting. • Schedule (Open, Close, Days, Hours) must be updated by 1/15/13 when site locator becomes available • Only the ADS can activate/inactivate a site and change split state, site name and address, DC/LC assignments Through Portal, DC/LC can update: Schedule Local Contact to request appointments Y/N indicators Request Insurance Certificate
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Ordering Site Materials All AARP Foundation Tax-Aide sites must use the following materials as required by the IRS grant and legal considerations: AARP Tax-Aide Poster (D143) AARP Tax Record Envelope (D12225)
AARP
Intake/Interview & QR Sheet (Form 13614-C )
IRS
Tax-Aide Sites should order the following materials: Site Activity Log (D19597 )
AARP
Out of Scope Poster (C2467)
AARP
Name card inserts (C2358) (6 per sheet)
AARP
Plastic Name Card Holder (C1055)
AARP
Client Service Provider Digest (D16276)
AARP
Business Reply Envelope 9x12 (D778) – for mailing to National Office
AARP
Doc 9282 E – Business Reply Label (Austin) – for 8453 & attachments.
IRS
1040 Instructions
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IRS
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Ordering Materials from AARP • • • • • •
Portal: Program Material Order Material Can ship to locations other than ordering volunteer’s address Order confirmation email provided Training: ShareNet > Portal Application Support Accessible by any volunteer with leader title Updated materials available by mid-November
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Ordering Materials from IRS Form 2333V – VITA/TCE Program Order Form
Fillable PDF form Optional, each volunteer has a unique account Cannot ship to another location Follow state procedures for form use
Sites should not order: IRS Training Materials – if ordered by SMT / DMT IRS tax forms – download from irs.gov VITA materials that are similar to Tax-Aide items Pub 1084, Pub 1303, Pub 3676A, Pub 730, etc.
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Certification Reporting • Instructors must report volunteer names and detail certification types (Military, Int’l, COD etc.) to the TRS before February 1st. This information will be forwarded to the ADS. • Volunteers not reported as being certified will be inactivated from the Tax-Aide volunteer database (VMIS). • All volunteers must be certified in Standards of Conduct. • The ADS will report volunteer certification to the IRS and the Tax-Aide National Office.
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Activity Reporting - unchanged in 2013 What’s reported by LC/DC
• Monthly Reporting Periods: Feb, Mar, April, May-Aug • Monthly Grace Period (1st to 5th day of following month) • Monthly Due Date (5th day of the following month) 1)March 5th 2)April 5th 3)May 5th
1) Paper Filed Federal Returns (Current Year) 2) Paper Filed Federal Returns (Prior Year) 3) Paper Filed Federal Returns (Amended) 4) Paper Filed State/Local Only Returns 5) Questions & Answers Only * 6) Quality Reviews (Paper Designated Sites Only**) * Q&A counts includes tax-related questions answered at or off site without preparing a tax return. ** Paper designated site: E-file = No in VMIS and Site Management System
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Reimbursement Policy • Program funds were never intended to reimburse volunteers for the total cost of volunteer participation, but were rather to insure that those who wished to volunteer would not be excluded due to their income limitations. If an expense is not explicitly authorized in the Policy Manual, assume that it is not allowable. • Non-Leader Volunteers (SCO, ERO, COU, CF, Non-Counselor) • Reimbursed for transportation expenses (mileage, parking, toll, public transportation) for Training and Counseling activities only • 40 hours of service (excluding Training and Travel) required. • Leader Volunteers are reimbursed for transportation expenses (mileage, parking, toll, public transportation) for Training and Counseling activities and other expenses. Refer to Policy Manual for allowable expenses and coding guidelines. • SMT will provide expense reimbursement approval limit guidelines 2012 Fall State Tax-Aide Meetings - Operations
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Expense Reimbursement Options Volunteers have three expense reimbursement options 1) No Reimbursement 2) Flat Rate Reimbursement ($35 – non-leaders & $50 –leaders) 3) Itemized Reimbursement – with or without receipts A. B-I-T Expenses without Receipts – Use Portal FAST Reimbursement B. B-I-T with Receipts – all expense codes – Use Excel template from ShareNet/Forms
*B-I-T (B-Coordinating, I- Counseling & T-Training) 2012 Fall State Tax-Aide Meetings - Operations
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2013 Expense Reimbursement Submission/Request Options 2013 Expense Request Methods:
Sign CFR
Portal My Non-Leader Reimbursement Excel Form
Leader Excel Form
Reimbursement timeframe: (from supervisor’s approval date)
Flat Rate Non-Leaders
Transportation w/o Receipts
7-14 days
7-14 days
X
X Preferred
Transportation w/ Receipts
6 weeks
6 weeks
X X
Flat Rate
X
Transportation w/o Receipts Leaders
X
X
Available for submission with I and T – 4/15 to 6/30 Only
For expenses submitted outside of 4/15 – 6/20
Transportation w/ Receipts
X
Other expenses
X
Paper Expense Statements, available from AARP Fulfillment or downloaded from ShareNet, will be accepted – discontinued 2014 2012 Fall State Tax-Aide Meetings - Operations
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FAST Reimbursement System Training Training, with screen shots, is available on the Portal ShareNet>Portal Application Support>Reimbursement For Volunteers – How to submit reimbursement request • Non- Leader Flat Rate Submission • Itemized Mileage Submission For Supervisors • Non-leader Flat Rate Approval - How to print CFRs and submit approvals for flat rate • Itemized Mileage Approval 2012 Fall State Tax-Aide Meetings - Operations
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FAST Reimbursement System 2013 Goals and Improvements Goals – FAST Reimbursement System used for … • 100 % non-leader Flat Rate processing o Non-Leader Flat Rate Form - printed locally from the Portal only – National office will not mail out any CFR forms in 2013 o Supervisor must submit approval of Non-Leader Flat Rate requests through the Portal.
• 75% or more of B-I-T mileage reimbursement requests
2013 FAST Reimbursement System Improvements • Volunteer variable rate selection up to the IRS standard business rate • Carry Forward of data after an initial data entry for each site • Supervisors will have option to manually escalate request to next level supervisor without waiting for 7-day 2012 Fall State Tax-Aide Meetings - Operations
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Direct Deposit for The Fastest Payment Submit the completed form with a voided check to Financial Services preferably before March 1st, 2013 (A paper check will be issued if Direct Deposit has not been implemented. NEW- Form can be emailed with scanned or photographed image of check and form Payment made within 7 days after receipt of reimbursement approval No lost mail or wrong address issues Form available on the ShareNet under Forms 2012 Fall State Tax-Aide Meetings - Operations
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AARP Volunteer Portal • Portal ShareNet has replaced the Extranet • All Tax-Aide information and applications accessible through the Portal • Applications access is customized by title • ShareNet submenu and content access is customized by title • Portal application training material can be found on Portal Volunteer ShareNet Portal Application Support • Getting Started with Portal doc – can help volunteers with Portal access, registration and trouble shooting 2012 Fall State Tax-Aide Meetings - Operations
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AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Volunteer Portal Where To Go For Support: If you are able to log into the Portal, but have trouble using or accessing the Portal Applications, send an email to
[email protected]. If you have trouble accessing information within the Volunteer ShareNet, send an email to
[email protected]. Be aware it may be necessary to scroll to see some subsections of Portal menus
When to contact the AARP HelpDesk – Trouble registering – If you need to change the email address that you use for Tax-Aide related correspondence and Portal login: • Notify the state ADS who will update your volunteer record • Send an email to
[email protected] to have your Volunteer Portal login email address changed – the ADS cannot update Portal login information. –
[email protected] – 1-888-925-2002 (M-F, 8am-11pm EST) 2012 Fall State Tax-Aide Meetings - Operations
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