Tax Prep Volunteering Is a Win for Community — And You

Recently I retired. With my career behind me, I was looking forward to free time, but after a few weeks, I concluded that enjoying free time is a myth. Do you find yourself in the same pickle? Looking for a cure to free-time doldrums? The good news is I found a cure: volunteering.

When you volunteer you give of yourself to someone in need. What else could make you feel so good about yourself while also benefiting your community?

One of the most flexible volunteering opportunities available in King County is tax preparation with United Way of King County (UWKC). In partnership with the Internal Revenue Service and the City of Seattle — and YOU — UWKC offers Free Tax Prep services to help families and individuals file their income taxes. Volunteers are the backbone of UWKC’s Free Tax Prep Campaign and your dedication is the basis for achieving success — for the campaign and for you!

So, let’s examine this volunteer opportunity a bit more closely.

Do you need to be a “numbers person”? No. UWKC will train you in the basics of preparing tax returns. Your investment is to attend a two-day training session. You can choose your training days (early December or early January). Our team of crack instructors will ensure that you will have the tools necessary to complete a tax return.

Do you have any opportunities that don’t involve tax prep? We do! All of our sites need a friendly face to greet our clients as they walk in the door. You would be a huge help if you were able to assist as an intake volunteer. No tax prep required!

How long is the commitment? The commitment aligns with the normal income tax season. The Free Tax Campaign starts in January and concludes in April. You can choose where you want to volunteer and how often. UWKC has about 20 tax sites from Shoreline to Federal Way. Volunteer shifts—typically between 3.5 to 4 hours long—are available weekdays in the early afternoon and evening and during the day on weekends.

Do I need to drive to a tax site? Almost all of our tax sites are transit friendly.

If I am new to tax prep, how do I know that I am doing a good job? Each location has a Site Manager whose job is to assist the volunteers as needed. Rest assured that you are part of a team with leadership, colleagues, and mentors. One of the most important advantages is that each prepared tax return is reviewed by a qualified person who does the quality review.

How does this volunteer opportunity help me? In my own experience, it has helped me in three ways:

1. It has improved my physical and mental health. Walking to the bus stop and then to the tax prep site contributes to my daily steps goal. Plus, I take immense satisfaction in the fact that I learned and honed the very valuable skill of tax preparation.
2. It makes me feel good. I get to meet and talk to other volunteers and tax clients. It is exhilarating when a taxpayer I helped says, “thank you.” I can see their smile. I can feel their relief.
3. I am part of the Tax Team. We support each other. When I became more proficient, I was able to help other volunteers who were grateful for the assistance. And I have made many new friends in the process.

Please consider volunteering for a role that best suits you. If you want to be part of the UWKC Tax Team, sign up here to volunteer. Who knew that helping people would be so much fun?!

Contributor Lily Carrasco is a Volunteer for the United Way of King County’s Free Tax Preparation campaign. Learn more at the UWKC website.