A new national initiative led by tax professional Carmen-Adriana Vlad, an IRS Enrolled Agent and founder of Competent Accounting LLC / Tax Pro Accounting LLC, aims to modernize how volunteers are trained to deliver free, accurate tax preparation. The project—the first bilingual (English–Spanish) IRS-aligned training guidebook and online learning platform for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)—seeks to streamline education, improve filing accuracy, and return hundreds of millions of dollars in tax refunds to low-income households each year.
Across more than 3,000 VITA sites, close to 100,000 volunteers help about 3.2 million Americans file tax returns annually, securing billions of dollars in refunds and credits for families who often cannot afford paid tax preparation. Yet the training landscape can be fragmented for first-time or bilingual volunteers, with materials scattered across modules, local practices, and seasonal updates. Vlad’s initiative addresses that gap by delivering a single, standardized system that pairs a plain-language guidebook with a free, public e-learning lab featuring interactive lessons, annual tax-law updates, certification-prep practice, and realistic client simulations.
“Our goal is simple: make accurate tax filing and volunteer training accessible to everyone,” said Vlad. “By combining technology, bilingual education, and community service, we can help families claim the refunds they’ve earned while lifting the capacity and confidence of volunteer teams nationwide.”
Based on IRS and United Way program statistics, each VITA volunteer assists 35–40 taxpayers per season, returning roughly $100,000 in refunds to local communities. Modeling a modest growth in certified volunteers by 5–10% (about 4,500–9,000 new volunteers) suggests capacity for an additional 150,000–360,000 tax returns each year. With refunds averaging around $2,000 per household, that expansion translates to an estimated $300–$720 million more in refunds flowing to American families annually. The platform’s design centers on accuracy, language access, and confidence-building, so volunteers can deliver consistent service even as federal and state rules evolve.
Key features include:
- Standardized national guidebook (English–Spanish) covering intake, eligibility, documentation, EITC/CTC, quality review, and common error prevention.
- Online learning lab with short modules, knowledge checks, and walkthroughs of typical and edge-case scenarios.
- Annual update cycle aligned to IRS changes, ensuring timely accuracy for each filing season.
- Free, open access so rural sites, smaller nonprofits, students, and retirees can participate without cost barriers.
“This is a national game-changer,” Vlad added. “It strengthens the link between financial education and community resilience. A clear, bilingual training standard helps volunteers serve more people, reduce filing errors, and improve the uptake of credits designed for working families.”
The initiative is slated for pilot collaborations with VITA partners beginning in 2026, prioritizing regions with bilingual needs and rural access challenges. Organizers will gather feedback on usability, accuracy, training time, retention, and taxpayer outcomes to refine the guidebook and platform before national rollout. Beyond the core VITA audience, adult education programs, community colleges, and workforce development organizations can adapt the materials for financial literacy and service-learning curricula.
Call to action: Organizations interested in pilot participation, content review, or bilingual module contribution can email taxpro77office@gmail.com with the subject line “VITA Pilot Inquiry.”
About the Project
The National Bilingual VITA Guidebook and Training Platform is a public-interest project led by Carmen-Adriana Vlad, IRS Enrolled Agent and founder of Competent Accounting LLC / Tax Pro Accounting LLC (Mauldin, SC). The initiative aligns with federal volunteer tax assistance goals by improving training efficiency, supporting bilingual education, and promoting free, accurate tax preparation for underserved communities nationwide.
Sources (selected)
IRS VITA/TCE overview and volunteer recruitment pages; IRS annual training publications (e.g., Pub 4012 and current-year training/site materials); and United Way national VITA summaries. Figures cited in this release (sites, volunteers, average returns per volunteer, and typical refund amounts) reflect commonly reported program statistics and are used to illustrate the project’s potential impact.