St Charles
Community College
ACT198-40
VITA
Class Internship (3 CREDIT)
Spring
2006
Meets: Monday 6:00-8:50pm College Center room 106
PREREQUISITE(S): ACT240
Instructor: Ms. Anna
Boulware
Work Phone: 636-922-8328
E-mail: aboulware@stchas.edu
Office Location: Tech Building Room 205
Office Hours: M,W 1:00-2:15pm and T,R 8:30-9:50am and
1:30-2:15pm, or by
appointment.
COURSE
MATERIALS:
All required course information will be provided by instructor.
Optional: Essentials of Federal Income Taxation, CCH 2003
Edition. (Same
book used in the prerequisite ACT240 class)— (to be used as an
additional
reference).
COURSE/INTERNSHIP
DESCRIPTION:
An opportunity to participate in the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax
Assistance
program by applying classroom skills to actual experience.
Includes
training to provide community service of free tax assistance and
preparation of
basic tax returns for older, handicapped and low income taxpayers.
COURSE COMPETENCIES:
During this course, the student will be expected to:
1. Interview taxpayer to collect data.
1.1 Select filing status.
1.2 Identify gross income.
1.3 Distinguish types of
deductions.
1.4 Identify any credits
which taxpayer
is eligible to take.
2. Judge when to seek assistance.
2.1 Consult your
advisor/teacher.
2.2 Utilize
reference
materials and text.
2.3 Discuss use of
internet to
solve tax related questions.
2.3.1 Review various IRS
internet
sites available for help.
3. Calculate personal income tax.
3.1 Enter taxpayer
information on correct IRS forms or use computer software package.
3.2 Compute taxable
income.
3.3 Determine tax
liability.
4. Discuss tax results with taxpayer.
4.1 Explain filing
procedure.
4.2 Discuss Missouri tax
requirements.
4.3 Define timeline for
filing
Federal and Missouri tax returns.
4.4 Answer questions
taxpayer may
have.
5.
Prepare a resume to be used for future
job applications.
Tentative
Calendar for
Spring Semester 2004
January 12 Hand out
test
booklets and listen to guest speaker from IRS
January 19 Martin
Luther
King Day NO CLASS—However, you should be studying for
the VITA
certification exam.
January 26 Study for exam.
Review Missouri State return. Complete Mock returns.
February 3 Prepare Mock Federal and
State returns
February 9
Begin preparing returns
February 16
Preparing returns
February 23
Preparing returns
March
1
Prepare returns
March
8 Spring Break ---No
Class!! (I bet the IRS has to keep working. . .!)
March
15 Prepare returns
March 22
Prepare returns
March 31
Prepare returns
April 7
Prepare returns
April 14
Prepare
returns—Last night!!!!
April 19
Class time rescheduled for Wednesday, April 21, 11:30-1:00pm
(see below)
April 21
“Panache That Pays” Luncheon.
Guest Speaker Maria Everding, a national speaker and author with
expertise in the areas of social graces and professional etiquette.
11:30-1:00 Private
Dining Room, Student Center—by invitation only.
The luncheon tickets are $5. The
ticket price includes a catered lunch and a book
entitled, “Panache that Pays” written by Everding. The book serves as a guide on manners in
situations ranging
from job interviews and introductions to business travel and private
entertaining.
April 26
Work
on resume: Bring in records
regarding any previous work experience including dates of employment. Think about what your job
responsibilities were in the job. Bring
a list of all classes you have taken at SCC and
at any other college. Think about
any skills that you might possess that you would like to include on a
resume. Typing, 10-key, additional
licenses you
have earned, computer application programs you know—for example,
QuickBooks, Peachtree,
Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access, Web publishing software, etc.
May 3
Finish your resume. Work on Mock
return which will be entered into Proseries Tax Preparation Software
(another
software application package you can add to your resume.
May 10
Enter
Mock return into computer using Proseries Tax Software and receive
certificate
of completion for internship and VITA certificate.
Grading/
Expectations:
Ÿ
Your
attendance is VERY IMPORTANT. If, your absence from class is
unavoidable,
please notify the instructor as soon as possible prior to the absence
so that
remaining tax preparers will be ready to pick up any slack.
Ÿ
Students must
pass the IRS VITA certification exam. (No letter grade assigned,
just
pass or fail)
Ÿ Students will be
expected to wear Business Casual Dress (please no jeans) when tax
return
preparation begins after Monday, February 9. Before that date,
there are
no specific requirements.
Ÿ
Professionalism is
required at all times which includes:
Dress appropriately.
Clients should be questioned in a pleasant
and
courteous manner.
Treat clients in a warm and friendly manner.
Explain return to client.
Explain filing/mailing procedure to client.
Maintain client confidentiality at all times.
Ÿ
Do not accept payment
of any kind for returns.
To maintain a letter grade of an ‘A’ for this
internship, all students must
adhere to above expectations. You will lose ½ letter grade
for every
absence beyond one. (You do get one excused absence). In
addition,
for any other infraction of the above expectations the student’s
letter grade
may be dropped ½ letter depending upon nature of infraction.
Ÿ Lastly, the student
will be required to complete a job resume prior to the end of the
semester
which he/she can use in future employment searches.
Daily
Timetable:
When tax preparation begins on February 9, we will adhere to the
following
timetable each evening:
6:00-6:10pm Prepare room for work. During this
time
(Greeter can also be reviewing
client materials for completeness). Make sure that
all
taxpayers sign in.
6:10-8:40pm Begin doing tax returns
8:40pm
Finish
up all returns. If a return cannot be completed in the last 10
minutes of class, the client should be asked to come back the following
week and he/she will be seen first before any new clients. Begin
cleanup
of room and lock away calculators.