Certification Paths

Certification Paths - Counselors and Non-Counselors

Volunteers who wish to certify as TaxAide counselors and prepare tax returns for clients must  complete four requirements:

1. Pass the IRS Standards of Conduct, Intake Interview and Quality Review, and Advanced Tests.

2. Pass the Maryland Test

3. Complete 4 Proficiency returns to demonstrate knowledge of tax law and mastery of the TaxSlayer software

4. Complete required AARP TaxAide Learning Management System training.

We recommend you read Taking the Tests  Online before beginning the IRS tests and printing out a PDF copy of the test questions and marking the answers prior to taking the test on-line.

Your results for the IRS test (80% is the minimum passing score) will show up on this page.  If you do not pass on the  first try, a Retest (also available in the hardcopy book) is available.

Once you have completed these 4 requirements, you will electronically sign your Volunteer Agreement on the IRS site and provide it to the instructors for their signature.

Volunteers other than Counselors (Client Facilitators, Greeters, and Scheduling Assistants):

Volunteers who wish to certify as TaxAide Client Facilitators, Greeters, or Scheduling Assistants must  complete two requirements:

1. Pass the IRS Standards of Conduct and Intake Interview and Quality Review tests.

2. Complete required AARP TaxAide Learning Management System training.

Once you have completed these 2 requirements, you will electronically sign your Volunteer Agreement on the IRS site and provide it to the instructors for their signature.

1. IRS Tests

The IRS tests are all contained in IRS Publication 6744.

We recommend you read Taking the Tests  Online before beginning the IRS tests and printing out a PDF copy of the test questions and marking the answers prior to taking the test on-line.

Your results (80% is the minimum passing score) will show up on the summary page on the IRS site.  If you do not pass on the  first try, a Retest for each test is available.

Note that the softcopy version of the 6744 link here has errata on page XXX.  If you are using the hardcopy 6744, remember to check the errata before you begin the test.

IRS Standards of Conduct

(all Volunteers)

1. Have IRS Publication 4961 Conduct & Ethics available

2. Print out a PDF copy of the test questions and figure out your answers.

3. Log into the IRS Certification site.

   1. Click on the “Advanced” Tab

Click on the link to complete the Standards of Conduct Test

IRS Intake Interview and Quality Review Test

(all Volunteers)

1. Have available:

   1. Publication 5838, VITA/TCE Intake/Interview and Quality Review Handbook

   2.  Publication 5101 Intake Interview and Quality Review Training

   3. Publication 5310 VITA/TCE Tax Return and Quality Review Job Aid 

   4. The Intake Interview and Quality Review Sheet

2.  Review:

   1.  The NTTC Gold Standards for Intake and Interview paper

   2. The NTTC Gold Standards for Quality Review paper

   3.  The AARP Scope Poster and the TaxAide Scope Manual for TY2023

3. Print out a PDF copy of the test questions and figure out your answers.

4. Log into the IRS Certification site.

   1. Click on the “Advanced” Tab

   2. Click on the link to complete the Intake Interview and Quality Review Test

IRS Advanced Test (counselors Only)

1. Have available:

   • Qualifying Child and Relative Resource Tool (which has Filing Status Decision Tree included)

   • NTTC Annotated Pub. 4012 – most of the answers to the Advanced Test questions can be found by searching for the relevant topic in the Pub. 4012

   • NTTC Annotated Pub. 4491 – Topics on the Advanced Test questions can be researched in Pub. 4491

   • Your hardcopy Pub. 6744 or softcopy version

2. Print out a PDF copy of the test questions and figure out your answers to Scenarios 1-6 on the IRS Advanced test in Pub. 6744.

3. Note any questions that you aren’t sure about and ask the instructors for help.

4. Enter the information for Scenarios 7-9 on the IRS Advanced Test into Practice Lab 2023.

5. Create a PDF (using Summary/Print) for each return and save it to your computer.

6. Use the PDF of the return and research in Pub. 4012 to answer the test questions for Scenarios 7-9 and note them in Pub. 6744.

7. Note any questions that you aren’t sure about and ask the instructors for help.

8. Log into the IRS Certification site.

• Click on the “Advanced” Tab

• Click on the link to complete the Advanced Test.

2. Proficiency Returns (counselors only)

Each counselor is required to submit 4 proficiency returns in order to certify.  The returns are chosen by the instructors from the practice returns in the NTTC Workbook.   We provide checkpoints for the Federal and Maryland results.  We also provide additional Maryland information to be added to each of the returns to demonstrate mastery of Maryland-specific tax topics.   These returns cannot be completed or submitted until the Maryland state component is added to Practice Lab, usually during the first week of January.

For each of the returns below:

1.Enter the information from he NTTC Workbook into Practice Lab.

2. Create a PDF of the completed return (using Summary/Print from the menu)

3. Compare your results to the checkpoints  for this return provided ???.

4. If they don’t match, see if you can figure out why within a reasonable amount of time (10-15 minutes) and if you can’t, send your PDF to the instructors and we’ll give you some advice.

5. Once you have a correct version, upload it to the appropriate assignment in ???

3. Maryland Test (counselors only)

Each counselor is required to pass a Maryland State Test.

1.  Have available:

• Maryland Resident Booklet

• Maryland Users Guide

• Maryland Checklist

• Maryland Pension Exclusions Cheat sheet

• Maryland Cheat Sheet on Tax-Exempt Interest and Dividend Income

2.  Review the Maryland Test PDF

• Note your answers on the PDF, highlighting any that you are unsure about

• Contact  the instructors for help with those you are unsure about before taking the Maryland test

Take the Maryland Test at this link (a self-grading Google Quiz)  (A retest is available). Please make sure that you choose the correct email address when  taking the test.

4. AARP Learning Management System (all Volunteers)

AARP TaxAide requires all volunteers to complete 2 (3 for Site Coordinators) video training courses.  You access these courses through the AARP Volunteer Portal on the Training Tab.  Once completed, you will receive an email showing completion.

When you have completed the LMS training, forward the email showing completion to the instructors.

5. Sign Your Volunteer Agreement

Your signed Form 13615 indicates that you are completed all the Certification Requirements for your requested position (Counselor, Client Facilitator, Greeter, Scheduling Assistant).

1.  Log into the IRS site

2. On the page with your test results, look for the “Electronically sign your Volunteer Agreement” on the right side of the page.

3.  Save as a PDF and send the PDF to the instructors for signature.

4.  The instructors will return a signed copy to you.