BEYOND CAREERS
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Mission Statement
The mission of Beyond Careers is to provide education for low-to-moderate income families and individuals (LMI), students, small businesses and the self-employed to build wealth and foster significant improvements in self-sufficiency.
About This Cause
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic we all are going through, Beyond Careers Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) free tax preparation for taxpayers in the low-to-moderate income bracket is looking to enhance our program and find ways to continue in our new normal. We have a process in place using our Virtual model for continued social distancing and would allow for very limited interaction between the school representatives including Beyond Careers VITA volunteers and the taxpayers. Since Beyond Careers VITA Virtual model has been in place for many years, we can continue this method. The IRS has extended the tax deadline until July 15, 2020. Because of this, we will be able to prepare tax returns for the 2019 tax season. Those taxpayers meeting the criteria for receiving the Economic Income Payment (EIP), and had not previously filed a tax return, can be added to the IRS database to be in line to receive the EIP. The student’s role will be ZOOM Administrator/Initial Intake volunteer or a Drop-Off Initial Entry volunteer. Those students could take Beyond Careers VITA Independent Study online. Students could take the online training for the Standards of Conduct and Intake/Interview tests to become IRS-Certified volunteers. The students who participate would gain community service hours. The ZOOM Administrator/Initial Intake volunteer will connect with taxpayers remotely, take screenshots by using “snipping tool” on their computer, so the tax payer can hold up their SS card (for example) and the volunteer could take a “snip” of it and save to a document. Then this could continue until all documents have been shared, and the document could be saved and uploaded to the IRS TaxSlayer online tax software. Beyond Careers e-file administrator or other representative will send the document to the taxpayer via email using a file archiving tool that will encrypt and password-protect the tax return. The password will be sent to the taxpayer in a separate manner, such as by phone or text ensuring that attempting hacking doesn’t result in gaining access to the tax return provided to the taxpayer by Beyond Careers. Beyond Careers has established a 10-year partnership with the Internal Revenue Service- Stakeholder Partnerships, Education and Communication (IRS-SPEC) through our mobile Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to assist all eligible clients. We provide governmental services through our mobile VITA program to assist taxpayers in the low-to-moderate income bracket who need assistance and education in preparing their federal and state taxes. The IRS-SPEC administers the program, including providing support, training resources and certification to VITA volunteers. VITA supports hard-working Americans, including those with limited means, disabilities and limited English proficiency, by providing assistance to accurately complete their taxes. *In 2019, tens of thousands of IRS-certified VITA volunteers prepared over 1.5 million tax returns, all while achieving a 98% accuracy rate—the highest in the tax preparation industry. *https://prosperitynow.org/blog/vita-was-put-law-we-still-need-30-million-funding-fy2020 The VITA program returns thousands of dollars in Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) and other tax credits to these taxpayers. We are able to prepare and e-file tax returns using TaxSlayer the IRS approved, online software. We also provide direct deposit through TaxSlayer at no cost for qualified taxpayers. Taxpayers are able to access the refunds they depend on to improve their household's financial well-being. There is no cost for this service for individuals and families with income under $58,000 per year. Volunteer tax preparers, quality reviewers, and site coordinators complete training annually. The IRS-Certified volunteer tax-preparers undergo intense training through Beyond Careers Independent Study using the IRS training materials. Beyond Careers’ volunteers must pass a minimum of the Advance comprehensive test before preparing a single tax return. Beyond Careers seeks funding to pay for the administration of the program. This includes staff, advertising and marketing, translations and everything else that goes into a successful program. 2020 Partnerships • Houston Community College (HCC) o HCC-Brays Oaks • Lone Star College Houston-North • East Early College High School Beyond Careers VITA is dedicated to strengthening economies, building communities, and improving lives through tax assistance and asset building activities that produce financial security, protect families, and promote economic justice. Community Involvement Students interested in becoming an IRS-certified volunteer tax preparer will receive hands-on experience with real world situations. This will consist of on-line and/or in-person training that can be taken independently or in a group. A VITA certificate will be automatically generated upon successful completion of the IRS-Certified training. This would be a great way for students looking for volunteer opportunities to gain tax skills and experience while giving back to their community. Students will be able to include this milestone on their resume as well as college, scholarship, grants and job applications. Accounting student volunteers: Houston Community College, the University of Houston-Central and Houston Baptist University. Beyond Careers FSA Beyond Careers Facilitated Self Assistance (FSA) customized website set will be set up under Beyond Careers VITA program. FSA is at no cost for taxpayers who are able to complete their own tax return. The students can supervise the FSA and give guidance to the taxpayers on how to log into the website, etc., without the student having to prepare tax returns themselves. Beyond Careers plans to partner with organizations and individuals that can assist students with their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applications. This combination is under Beyond Careers Financial Aid U program.