We are looking for applicants with tax preparation experience to work with low income households in Brooklyn in Bedford Stuyvesant and Bushwick, in Manhattan in East Harlem and the Lower East Side and in Queens, as part of the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Program.  Part time and full time positions will begin in mid-January and end on April 15, 2009.  Weekday, evening and Saturday hours are available. All preparers need to take an on-line course, attend training on site, and take an IRS e-learning component, pass a post-test and become certified by the IRS. All training is FREE.

Qualifications

• Substantial experience (at least one year) preparing personal income taxes as a professional or a VITA volunteer.
• Accounting degree preferred.
• Good computer skills.
• Acute attention to detail.
• Ability to interact with the public, fellow staff and volunteers in a helpful and supportive manner.
• Willingness to work in an untraditional setting.
• Dependability and flexibility.
• Spanish speaking ability a plus.

Program Description

NYCfNAC provides financial, technical and operational assistance to the city's leading community development credit unions. These credit unions are non-profit, financial cooperatives dedicated to promoting economic opportunity for their members through access to affordable financial services. They also facilitate the economic development of their communities by reinvesting members' deposits in the community through their personal, business and housing loans. 

NYCfNAC established the VITA Program in 2004 to respond to the exploitation of low-income taxpayers by commercial tax preparation firms, which often charge excessive fees and encourage these taxpayers to borrow their refunds at high interest rates.  The VITA Program assists these families in claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and receiving the entire refund they are due.  In addition, it helps bring in more of the estimated $500 million being lost annually to New York City by EITC-eligible families that do not claim their refunds.  The program also promotes financial literacy and offers filers, particularly those without a bank account, the opportunity to open an account at a credit union to receive their refunds and gain access to savings, credit and other financial services.

Compensation

$12 to $14 per hour, depending on experience.

To Apply  

Submit a cover letter describing relevant experience and salary requirements along with a resume to Pamela Davis.  Email to pdavis@nycfnac.org. Our application deadline is December 1, 2008, but we encourage early applications!  NYCfNAC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Applications without a cover letter that address the requirements indicated above will not be considered.