Tax Season Is Calling for Volunteers–Listen Up!

By United Way of King County, on October 15, 2023 | In Breaking the Cycle of Poverty, News, Volunteering

This past tax season, United Way of King County’s Free Tax Preparation Campaign served more than 13,900 clients in 11 weeks and helped clients claim more than $13 million in state and federal tax credits.

Now, we’re at it again, and we need your help.

Come volunteer for our Free Tax Prep Campaign! Funded by United Way, the IRS, and the City of Seattle, the Free Tax Preparation Campaign runs from January through April and helps people take advantage of earned income tax credits, the nation’s most vital anti-poverty measure.

Ryan McFerrin, United Way program manager for tax credits and financial stability, said that United Way is recruiting 750 volunteers for 20 tax sites (last season’s tax program fielded 500 volunteers). United Way trains volunteers to ensure they are IRS-certified to help people keep more of what they earn. McFerrin said that training is required for new volunteers. United Way offers five-weekend training options at South Seattle College during the first three weeks of December and the first two weeks of January.

Paul Oh, site manager and coordinator for University of Washington Bothell’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program

We have both in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities, which include:  

  • In-Person Tax Preparation Specialists: Prepare tax returns atone of our locations across King County. All specialists are trained to obtain Advanced IRS Tax Law VITA certification.
  • Community Intake Specialists: Assist at our tax sites by maintaining client waitlists, answering questions, and connecting clients to important community resources.

Note: All locations will exercise strict COVID-19 protocols and CDC guidelines for safety.

McFerrin said that while volunteers are welcome in all venues, South King County volunteers are especially needed, as our tax sites in places like Federal Way and Kent serve many clients each year but often have paltry numbers of volunteers.

You do not need any prior knowledge or training to volunteer, though if you are interested in a virtual opportunity, you MUST have a high degree of computer literacy, a stable internet connection, and be willing and able to communicate with clients by phone.

In general, it is important that our tax volunteers have a friendly attitude, a willingness to be flexible, have general computer experience, and are willing to commit to three to six hours of service a week. 

The ability to speak another language is helpful, but not required. Languages in high demand include Spanish, Amharic, Vietnamese, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Russian, Ukrainian, Somali, and Tagalog. 

Interested? We’ve made it easy for you to get started! Check out these registration links for intake specialists and tax preparation specialists, both onsite and remote:

Onsite Intake Specialist

  • Rainier Beach Community Center: We are finalizing the schedule for this tax site. Please email freetax@uwkc.org to notify us of your interest and provide the day of the week you would like to volunteer here.
  • Rainier Valley Leadership Academy: We are finalizing the schedule for this tax site. Please email freetax@uwkc.org to notify us of your interest and provide the day of the week you would like to volunteer here.


Onsite Tax Preparer

  • Rainier Beach Community Center: We are finalizing the schedule for this tax site. Please email freetax@uwkc.org to notify us of your interest and provide the day of the week you would like to volunteer here.
  • Rainier Valley Leadership Academy: We are finalizing the schedule for this tax site. Please email freetax@uwkc.org to notify us of your interest and provide the day of the week you would like to volunteer here.


Remote Intake Specialist or Tax Preparer

Remote Tax Preparer:https://volunteer.uwkc.org/need/detail/?need_id=856124

Tags: free tax prep, income taxes, IRS, online free tax prep, taxes

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