Society for Free Tax Assistance: VITA Meet-up Notes

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Date: August 19, 2026

Topic: Site outreach, communication tools & tax-software update

Administrative Updates

  • Session notes are now being posted to VITAquality.org
  • Starting in September, attendees use the registration on Zoom you only need to register once to be added to the recurring meeting series

Accessibility & Civil Rights Site Visits

  • Multiple attendees reported site visits this year from an IRS civil-rights compliance team, checking items such as required signage, physical accessibility (e.g., wheelchair access), and availability of a TTY/relay line for clients who are deaf or hard of hearing.
  • Visits were generally brief (roughly an hour); in at least one case the site wasn’t open, so the visit was limited to viewing the location from outside.
  • Takeaway: Having ADA-compliant facilities is an important goal however we need to balance it with the value of site hosts who have earned trust with hard-to-serve populations — including immigrant communities and other low-trust taxpayer groups — even when those locations aren’t fully accessible.

Framework: Mapping the Taxpayer Experience

  • A “taxpayer experience map” — a customer-journey-mapping approach originally developed through a CFPB-affiliated project — was introduced as a way to think through site-operations improvements.
  • The approach: identify each touchpoint where the organization interacts with a taxpayer (pre-filing outreach, scheduling, intake, waiting, preparation, review, exit) and ask what the taxpayer wants in that moment, how they typically respond, what the organization wants to happen, and what the operational purpose of that touchpoint is.
  • Each touchpoint can also be treated as a possible “conversion” opportunity — a small additional ask, such as opening a savings account or registering to vote.
  • The framework isn’t meant as a full mapping exercise for every program, but as a lens for evaluating whether existing touchpoints serve both the taxpayer’s experience and the organization’s goals.

Early Outreach: Getting the Word Out Before Season

  • One attendee shared a new printed “free tax prep coupon”/wallet card, to be distributed by the whole staff (not just outreach staff) at community events, workplaces, schools, and other public events. It lists the season start date, income eligibility, a phone number, and a QR code, plus information-and-referral-line details on the back.
  • Another attendee is piloting a similar concise business card this year, with a QR code and basic details, to replace bulkier one-page flyers.
  • QR codes were seen as useful for trackable, low-cost outreach (most QR-generator tools include click metrics), but attendees cautioned that not everyone knows how to use them — printed materials should carry enough information on their own rather than relying on the QR code as the only source of detail.
  • Recurring theme: referral from friends or family remains by far the top way people learn about free tax help, even compared to large-scale institutional outreach. Tangible items that stay in someone’s hand or wallet (coupons, business cards) tend to support that referral effect better than one-time messaging.

Managing Call Volume & Communication Channels

  • High call volume in the early weeks of the season — including from people who haven’t yet received their tax documents — was a shared challenge. Some programs turn off voicemail entirely during that window and redirect callers to email.
  • One attendee’s program shifted to a text-line option this past season (in response to a staffing gap) and found clients often communicated needs more concisely by text; they plan to keep offering it going forward, alongside phone support for callers who need it.
  • Tools mentioned: a CRM platform’s built-in text messaging feature, a separate cloud phone system for calls, and a call-masking app some staff use with personal numbers. (CRM = customer relationship management software; attendees noted it’s only as useful as the information staff actually enter, and programs have to decide whether tax clients share a CRM with donors.)
  • A cloud phone system was also described as useful for toggling voicemail on/off by time of season and for basic self-service routing (e.g., “press 1 for site locations”).
  • Partnering with a 2-1-1 or municipal 3-1-1 line for overflow call handling was discussed; one attendee said the cost of continuing that partnership had become prohibitive this year.
  • A few attendees described building relationships with community partners (utility companies, unions, and newsletter publishers) to distribute canned promotional content; one described utility companies inserting a short, personalized reminder directly into customer bills, positioned to the utility as helping customers keep up with their own payments.

Appointment Prep: The “What to Bring” Checklist

  • An updated “Tax Time Checklist” (based on IRS materials, refined from a CFPB resource, and updated with feedback each year) was shared via a group Dropbox folder.
  • Distribution approaches described by attendees: reading the list aloud when scheduling by phone, posting it on the organization’s website, texting a shortened link to a PDF version, and including it in appointment confirmation/reminder emails.
  • Several attendees noted the value of repetition across channels — reordering the list so the most commonly forgotten item (Social Security cards, in this case) appears first, since missing documents are a leading cause of lost or rescheduled appointments.
  • Appointment-scheduling partners (e.g., a call center handling scheduling) can also be given a script that walks through the checklist as part of booking the appointment.

Virtual & Drop-off Filing Considerations

  • Attendees briefly discussed how “what to bring” guidance changes for virtual and drop-off filing options.
  • One attendee noted that a commonly used virtual-filing platform has improved significantly in recent years at helping clients upload complete documentation, resulting in far fewer incomplete submissions reaching preparers; programs that stopped using it in the past may want to revisit it.

Software Update: Tax-Prep Vendor Contract & Carry-Forward Data

  • Client data that carries forward year to year (once a returning client’s prior information is in the system) was highlighted as a major driver of both return quality and preparation speed; one attendee cited a significant drop in e-file rejections after carry-forward data became available.
  • Several attendees raised concern about what a future software-vendor change could mean for that carry-forward continuity.
  • Current understanding shared on the call: the tax-prep software contract (TaxSlayer) is set through the 2027 filing season; whether the vendor changes for 2028 and beyond is still undecided, per the most recent update from an IRS partner call.
  • One attendee with historical background on the VITA program’s technical infrastructure noted that VITA-supporting servers operate under stricter security requirements than the commercial version of the same software, meaning a switch would require a significant infrastructure investment from any new vendor — a factor attendees believe makes a near-term change less likely.
  • Attendees also reflected on the prior vendor transition, noting it created some early growing pains, but that the current vendor has generally been more stable during tax season than the platform used previously.

Looking Ahead: Savings Accounts & the Saver’s Credit

  • One attendee asked whether other programs are partnering with local banks on outreach materials for a newer type of tax-time savings account tied to a bank partnership; this was flagged as a possible opportunity worth exploring.
  • A revised, fully refundable Saver’s Credit for retirement savings was also flagged for the future: starting with the 2028 filing season (not the current one), taxpayers may be able to direct part of a refund into a retirement account and claim a fully refundable credit. Not actionable yet, but worth keeping on the radar.

Next Steps

  • Next session continues the site-operations discussion, with more focus on taxpayer-facing handouts/materials, volunteer roles, and how volunteers are used at the site.
  • Volunteer and staff job description templates will be shared, along with a possible revisit of a shared repository of past outreach flyers.
  • Site-operations topics are expected to run longer than a single session given the amount of ground to cover.

Society for Free Tax Assistance: VITA Meet-up Notes

Date: August 19, 2026

Topic: Site outreach, communication tools & tax-software update

Administrative Updates

  • Session notes are now being posted to VITAquality.org
  • Starting in September, attendees use the registration on Zoom you only need to register once to be added to the recurring meeting series

Accessibility & Civil Rights Site Visits

  • Multiple attendees reported site visits this year from an IRS civil-rights compliance team, checking items such as required signage, physical accessibility (e.g., wheelchair access), and availability of a TTY/relay line for clients who are deaf or hard of hearing.
  • Visits were generally brief (roughly an hour); in at least one case the site wasn’t open, so the visit was limited to viewing the location from outside.
  • Takeaway: Having ADA-compliant facilities is an important goal however we need to balance it with the value of site hosts who have earned trust with hard-to-serve populations — including immigrant communities and other low-trust taxpayer groups — even when those locations aren’t fully accessible.

Framework: Mapping the Taxpayer Experience

  • A “taxpayer experience map” — a customer-journey-mapping approach originally developed through a CFPB-affiliated project — was introduced as a way to think through site-operations improvements.
  • The approach: identify each touchpoint where the organization interacts with a taxpayer (pre-filing outreach, scheduling, intake, waiting, preparation, review, exit) and ask what the taxpayer wants in that moment, how they typically respond, what the organization wants to happen, and what the operational purpose of that touchpoint is.
  • Each touchpoint can also be treated as a possible “conversion” opportunity — a small additional ask, such as opening a savings account or registering to vote.
  • The framework isn’t meant as a full mapping exercise for every program, but as a lens for evaluating whether existing touchpoints serve both the taxpayer’s experience and the organization’s goals.

Early Outreach: Getting the Word Out Before Season

  • One attendee shared a new printed “free tax prep coupon”/wallet card, to be distributed by the whole staff (not just outreach staff) at community events, workplaces, schools, and other public events. It lists the season start date, income eligibility, a phone number, and a QR code, plus information-and-referral-line details on the back.
  • Another attendee is piloting a similar concise business card this year, with a QR code and basic details, to replace bulkier one-page flyers.
  • QR codes were seen as useful for trackable, low-cost outreach (most QR-generator tools include click metrics), but attendees cautioned that not everyone knows how to use them — printed materials should carry enough information on their own rather than relying on the QR code as the only source of detail.
  • Recurring theme: referral from friends or family remains by far the top way people learn about free tax help, even compared to large-scale institutional outreach. Tangible items that stay in someone’s hand or wallet (coupons, business cards) tend to support that referral effect better than one-time messaging.

Managing Call Volume & Communication Channels

  • High call volume in the early weeks of the season — including from people who haven’t yet received their tax documents — was a shared challenge. Some programs turn off voicemail entirely during that window and redirect callers to email.
  • One attendee’s program shifted to a text-line option this past season (in response to a staffing gap) and found clients often communicated needs more concisely by text; they plan to keep offering it going forward, alongside phone support for callers who need it.
  • Tools mentioned: a CRM platform’s built-in text messaging feature, a separate cloud phone system for calls, and a call-masking app some staff use with personal numbers. (CRM = customer relationship management software; attendees noted it’s only as useful as the information staff actually enter, and programs have to decide whether tax clients share a CRM with donors.)
  • A cloud phone system was also described as useful for toggling voicemail on/off by time of season and for basic self-service routing (e.g., “press 1 for site locations”).
  • Partnering with a 2-1-1 or municipal 3-1-1 line for overflow call handling was discussed; one attendee said the cost of continuing that partnership had become prohibitive this year.
  • A few attendees described building relationships with community partners (utility companies, unions, and newsletter publishers) to distribute canned promotional content; one described utility companies inserting a short, personalized reminder directly into customer bills, positioned to the utility as helping customers keep up with their own payments.

Appointment Prep: The “What to Bring” Checklist

  • An updated “Tax Time Checklist” (based on IRS materials, refined from a CFPB resource, and updated with feedback each year) was shared via a group Dropbox folder.
  • Distribution approaches described by attendees: reading the list aloud when scheduling by phone, posting it on the organization’s website, texting a shortened link to a PDF version, and including it in appointment confirmation/reminder emails.
  • Several attendees noted the value of repetition across channels — reordering the list so the most commonly forgotten item (Social Security cards, in this case) appears first, since missing documents are a leading cause of lost or rescheduled appointments.
  • Appointment-scheduling partners (e.g., a call center handling scheduling) can also be given a script that walks through the checklist as part of booking the appointment.

Virtual & Drop-off Filing Considerations

  • Attendees briefly discussed how “what to bring” guidance changes for virtual and drop-off filing options.
  • One attendee noted that a commonly used virtual-filing platform has improved significantly in recent years at helping clients upload complete documentation, resulting in far fewer incomplete submissions reaching preparers; programs that stopped using it in the past may want to revisit it.

Software Update: Tax-Prep Vendor Contract & Carry-Forward Data

  • Client data that carries forward year to year (once a returning client’s prior information is in the system) was highlighted as a major driver of both return quality and preparation speed; one attendee cited a significant drop in e-file rejections after carry-forward data became available.
  • Several attendees raised concern about what a future software-vendor change could mean for that carry-forward continuity.
  • Current understanding shared on the call: the tax-prep software contract (TaxSlayer) is set through the 2027 filing season; whether the vendor changes for 2028 and beyond is still undecided, per the most recent update from an IRS partner call.
  • One attendee with historical background on the VITA program’s technical infrastructure noted that VITA-supporting servers operate under stricter security requirements than the commercial version of the same software, meaning a switch would require a significant infrastructure investment from any new vendor — a factor attendees believe makes a near-term change less likely.
  • Attendees also reflected on the prior vendor transition, noting it created some early growing pains, but that the current vendor has generally been more stable during tax season than the platform used previously.

Looking Ahead: Savings Accounts & the Saver’s Credit

  • One attendee asked whether other programs are partnering with local banks on outreach materials for a newer type of tax-time savings account tied to a bank partnership; this was flagged as a possible opportunity worth exploring.
  • A revised, fully refundable Saver’s Credit for retirement savings was also flagged for the future: starting with the 2028 filing season (not the current one), taxpayers may be able to direct part of a refund into a retirement account and claim a fully refundable credit. Not actionable yet, but worth keeping on the radar.

Next Steps

  • Next session continues the site-operations discussion, with more focus on taxpayer-facing handouts/materials, volunteer roles, and how volunteers are used at the site.
  • Volunteer and staff job description templates will be shared, along with a possible revisit of a shared repository of past outreach flyers.
  • Site-operations topics are expected to run longer than a single session given the amount of ground to cover.

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