Training & Certification
Oregon Training Specialist: Kathie Saunders — or1trainteam@gmail.com
All Volunteers
- Tax Preparer Training Courses Now Available Online for All Volunteers
- How to Access Training Courses on Moodle
- Generic Orientation PowerPoint – Each District can tailor to suit
- Certification Information and Requirements
New Volunteers Learning Map
Returning Volunteers: What’s New
These materials will be updated as Oregon and federal tax law changes and TaxSlayer changes become available. Be sure to check back here as tax season grows closer in case more content has been added or if old content has been changed. Any changes will be marked in the syllabus as they are made.
TaxAide/NTTC Training
All AARP/NTTC links will take you directly to the document on the AARP Volunteer Portal. If you are not already signed in to the Portal, you will be forced to sign in. Click on the document and download these documents to your chromebook/computer
Videos & Tips
- List of NTTC Training Videos (2021)
- Tax Law and Scope Changes (2021) PDF Version available on TaxAide page
- New Tax Law D’Antonio and Elder
- New Tax Law Parata
Self Study
- Training Handbook (2021-2022)
- NTTC Self-Study Program (2020)
- Counselor Resources for Self Study (2020)
Client Facilitator
Returning Volunteers: Optional Courses
The following are optional online, self-paced courses that you can take to expand your tax law knowledge and improve your skills as a volunteer tax preparer. If you are unsure which courses you should take, consider taking this self-assessment which will recommend courses based on your responses to tax law questions.
Tax Law and TaxSlayer Refresher
This is an optional course for returning volunteer tax counselors who want to refresh their knowledge before taking the IRS Advanced Test to become certified for Tax Year 2021. In this course you will complete 5 problems that will cover most of the issues encountered on that test. These are the same problems used in the New Volunteer Training Course.
Tax Law and TaxSlayer Refresher Course Syllabus
There’s A Tool For That – Resource Refresher
This is an optional course recommended for returning volunteer tax counselors to refresh their knowledge of available resources.
There’s a Tool for That Course Syllabus
Self Employment and Gig Work
This is an optional class for returning volunteers who want to update their skills around Self Employment and the Gig Economy.
Self Employment and Gig Work Course Syllabus
Families Are Complicated
An optional course that covers filing status, dependents & credits in complex tax households.
Families Are Complicated Course Syllabus
Education Credits and Benefits
This is an optional course for returning volunteer tax counselors who want to refresh their knowledge before the tax season. In this course you will complete 3 problems that will highlight the key aspects of Education Credits/Benefits
Education Credits and Benefits Course Syllabus
Interviewing (Those Probing Questions)
This is an optional course for volunteer tax counselors, especially returning volunteers who want to improve their interviewing skills.
Interviewing (Those Probing Questions) Course Syllabus
All About ITINs
This is an optional course that will cover taxpayers with Individual Tax Identification Numbers, or ITINs.
Medicaid Waivers
This course will help you recognize Medicaid waiver payments so that you can treat them correctly in the tax return and produce the best tax result.
Certification Requirements for All Volunteers
Required Training for the 2021 Tax Year:
- All Volunteers (including Facilitators):
- IRS Standards of Conduct training and test on Link and Learn or paper
- Submit Volunteer Agreement 13615
- Client Facilitators:
- Intake Interview & Quality Review training and test on Link and Learn or paper
- Instructors and Counselors:
- IRS Advanced training and test on Link and Learn
- Required problem that includes state tax law: Grant Return using the following links.
- Grant Annotated Intake Sheet: https://cashoregon.org/docs/training/Grant_Annotated_Intake_Sheet_-_Final.pdf
- Grant Case Documents: https://cashoregon.org/docs/training/TY_2021-Grant_Case.pdf
- Military or International tests on Link and Learn (optional by district needs)
- Optional but suggested for Quality Reviewers:
- Qualified Experienced Volunteer Test on Link and Learn
Additional Certification Requirements for AARP TaxAide
Federal Training Resources
- SPEC – Volunteer Training Requirements (for TY2019)
- Intake/Interview and Quality Review Training (IRS 5101) for TY 2021
- Volunteer Standards of Conduct and Ethics Training (IRS Pub 4961)
- IRS VITA/TCE 4012 for TY2021
- IRS VITA/TCE 4491 Training Guide for TY2021
- IRS VITA/TCE 4491-X Training Supplement for TY2021