BurlCo District Local Coordinator Meeting

November 17, 2022

Agenda

District Leadership and Growth

Changes in COVID protocol for TY 2022

Service delivery this year – Drop-off model encouraged

Printers, Chromebooks and Routers

Site operations for this tax year

Training & Certifications

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Volunteer and Leadership Development

Recruiting and retaining volunteers and leaders is an important priority for the program.

• New volunteers – we’ve had a good recruiting season here in BurlCo.
• How can we bring back former volunteers?
• How can we encourage new leaders to step up?

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COVID Protocol changes for TY 22

All AARP COVID restrictions have been eliminated

• PPE supplies
• Vaccination
• Volunteer registration form
• Self checker
• COVID posters

We must still follow any COVID restrictions that our host sites still have in place.

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Covid Event Reporting – still in place

Covid Event Form must be filed within 24 hours

Must be filed by email to Taxaidecovid@aarp.org

Refer to volunteers by volunteer ID only

Refer to client and other generically (i,.e. Taxpayer 1, Taxpayer2, etc)

Additional details on Form

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Service Delivery Models for TY 22

AARP encourages the use of drop-off model variations

Drop off Definition:

• Taxpayer visits a site to provide hard copy documents
• The site retains hard copy documents
• Taxpayer returns later to review the return and complete filing.

Traditional In-person, same day service is still okay.

Scan of documents and upload to TSO is also okay if that works best.

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Drop Off Model Requirements

Use the Document Inventory Checklist to list taxpayer’s documents. This is a simplified form this year.

Have secure storage for taxpayer document envelopes.

IRS Form 14446 (taxpayer consent to our drop-off model) is no longer required.

We must have a system for tracking taxpayer documents.

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Drop-off Model Benefits

We can use couriers who are not Tax Counselors (i.e. CFs) to transport taxpayer documents to tax counselors who are working at home.

Can improve site efficiency – less in person time with the client.

Option that can be used when the site is overwhelmed, or volunteers call in sick.

Better use of at-home work for volunteers who do not want to be on-site.

In the end, we may be able to service more taxpayers.

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Printers

Brother HL-2370DW – TaxAide is standardizing on this model

All Chromebooks will have the Brother printer defaulted in the Print dropdown box, however it is NOT set up for our routers

At Site Check the Brother printers will be added and named Burlington Brother 2370

Toner Cartridges have been ordered for Brother printers

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Chromebooks

Time to test all Chromebooks, email was sent to all volunteers with Chromebooks, I’ll resend next week

• Remove all user IDs that may appear on the login screen by clicking on dropdown arrow after Username and click Remove
• Connect to any WiFi network, home or via AARP router
• Login using with username [Vol ID Number]@aarpfoundation.org, and one time password Taxaide2022! You then must select a new password.
• Once logged in, let the CB automatically download the latest OS and restart the CB or manually initiate the update from: Settings, About Chrome OS, Check for Updates].

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Chromebooks

To Shut Off

• Don’t just close the lid
• Press and hold start button and select Shut Down

Why not just Close the lid:

• Puts the CB to “sleep” and does not apply latest automatic updates
• Drains the battery (albeit slowly)

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Routers

No change in routers this year

I have updated firmware on routers I am holding

I will update firmware on others at site check

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Google Voice

All sites have a permanent Google Voice account established last year

Accounts are accessed with username SIDN@aarpfoundation.org. For example 240503XX@aarpfoundation.org

I have set password for most as Burlco2021!, you can change if you desire

Google Voice (cont)

You should enter account recovery information, I entered my email and you can enter your phone

Click on the circle with the first letter of your site, then click on Manage Your Google Account

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Google Voice (cont)

Next click on Security in the right hand column

Then scroll down and select Ways We can Verify You

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Google Voice (cont)

You will be asked for the password, then enter the phone number you want

They will email or text you a verification code to enter

You are done

DEMO – Call, voicemail, text

Portal

In addition to accessing Libraries and LMS Training LCs need to go to Portal to:

Update Location Information

Reimbursements

Tip Sheets path, Libraries>TA Volunteer Portal>

BurlCo Sites for TY 2021

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LCs - we need to get site & staffing data

Please contact your host site managers to find out if you will be able to operate in their locations this year and what site restrictions they may have.

Please contact your volunteers to find out how many will be returning and whether they will be able to work on-site or remotely only.

Let John know your findings.

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Training Plan

Classroom and Self study

Training dates for TY 22

New Volunteer Tax Counselor Training (4 days) – Tue, Nov 29, Thu, Dec 1, Tue, Dec 6 & Thu, Dec 8.

Comprehensive Training for all Volunteer tax counselors (2 days) :

• Wed/Thu, Jan 4-5 OR Tue/Wed, Jan 10-11

Client Facilitator training session – Tuesday, Jan 17.

Open Special Topics session – Thursday, Jan 19.

All Hands (NJ Dep’t of Revenue) Training – Tuesday, Jan 24.

Week of Jan 25 - 31 – Printer check at your site

Other Training Requirements

In addition to the in person and virtual training sessions, you will have homework.

Homework consists of viewing pre-recorded slide presentations and completing practice tax returns using our on-line software.

Most of our sessions will have pre-assignments that you will need to have completed before the training session.

Training Notes & BurlCo site

Like last year, Ron will issue a series of training notes (numbered) that point volunteers to the homework, resources and problems that they will need to complete outside of class.

You will find our training notes and presentations on the Training page of our BurlCo site. I plan on producing more slide presentations that explain or supplement the in-person training this year.

I will be expecting more practice problem homework this year with less class time used for the step-by-step reviews. We will highlight the tax law, resource tools and TSO entry lessons from each problem.

There are a new set of practice problems for returning and experienced volunteers. Andrews, Baker, Caldwell and Davenport are still with us, but they will be supplemented by some interesting new problems.

Comprehensive Training Additions

I want to add a couple of tip sheets to training this year:

• How can you get a tax return completed in one hour?
• What do you do when a taxpayer asks why their refund or balance due is different from last year?
• Any other Training issues we should add or emphasize more this year?

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Certification & Preparation for the Tax Season

Requirements & Procedures

IRS Certification Requirements

All volunteers must pass the “Standard of Conduct” and the “Intake/Interview and Quality Review” tests.

Tax Counselors (preparers) must also pass the “Advanced Course Scenarios” test.

Tests are in Pub 6744 and will be completed on-line through the Link and Learn portal.

Additional AARP Certification

There will be several on-line courses that cover policy, procedures and taxpayer information security. You will take these courses on-line through the Learning Management System (LMS) on the AARP Tax-aide portal.

You will need to complete two assigned tax return problems (proficiency) on your own.

A few more Changes and Reminders

Don’t use last year’s envelopes. This year’s version has voter information.

We will not get hard copies of Pub 4012. Get used to using the AARP NTTC version online (TP4F link).

John will get all our hard copy Pub 6744s and distribute them during the 2-Day Comprehensive sessions in January or can be picked up at new volunteer training.

There will be a new tool in TP4F that replaces the NJ Special Handling and Federal vs. NJ Tax Law tools from last year.

We will be emphasizing the use of NJ Checklist, Sch A & C worksheets (when required) and completion of the interview and annotations on the Intake / Interview form. The expectation is that ALL sites will follow these.

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Questions?