This post is the first of a series that I plan to share on ways VITA practitioners can improve financial outcomes for the taxpayers we serve and bring forth a more economically just society. Before discussing, what more we can do for taxpayers, I think it is critical that we state the vital financial empowerment work at the core of VITA and the importance of being the tax preparer of last resort.

Keeping taxpayers tax compliant is VITA’s most powerful asset-building function. If taxpayers have trouble with the IRS or the state departments of revenue, all other efforts to improve their financial situation are destine to fail. We are also providing access to home ownership, higher education and even citizenship, because providing an accurate tax return is critic to accessing these opportunities. With the possible exception of the credit reports, a tax return is the most important financial document for most people.  VITA provides access to financial opportunities to millions of taxpayers who could not otherwise afford quality assistance simply by providing tax assistance.  VITA tax assistance is a critical financial empowerment service.

We as practitioners must keep the importance of tax compliance and accurate preparation central to our mission in this work.  Otherwise, our closest allies will see VITA as simply a way to leverage large refunds into other asset-building strategies, and we will be pressured to stop serving some of the most vulnerable taxpayers, those with a balance due or small refunds. We will also miss the opportunity to connect these most vulnerable taxpayers to the other asset-building opportunities our allies in this work provide.