VITA volunteers go the distance to serve taxpayers

For more than 50 years, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program has helped expand access to tax preparation services. Staffed by IRS-certified volunteers, VITA provides free return preparation to low- to moderate-income taxpayers, seniors, military members and underserved communities. For tax professionals, the program represents one of the clearest examples of how the profession supports taxpayers beyond traditional practice.

Each filing season, volunteers prepare millions of returns across the country. These efforts help taxpayers claim valuable refunds and credits they might otherwise miss. In 2026 alone, tens of thousands of volunteers prepared more than 2.8 million returns at over 9,000 sites nationwide, claiming billions of dollars in refunds for taxpayers. These efforts highlight the scale and impact of the program, but the true value of VITA is often seen in the communities that are hardest to reach.

Setting up shop in the snow

In remote areas, including rural Alaska, VITA’s service mission becomes even more visible. Volunteers do not wait for taxpayers to come to them. Organized by the Alaska Business Development Center, preparers travel to isolated communities, sometimes by small aircraft or seasonal routes, to provide in-person assistance. In these locations, commercial tax services may not exist and internet access is limited. This year, volunteers set up their computers at a village repair shop, working 12 hours a day preparing returns for the community.

Volunteers brought everything needed to prepare returns, including secure systems and equipment. They set up temporary workspaces and worked through logistical challenges to deliver accurate and compliant returns. And with the local hotel booked, volunteers slept at a local school, eating cafeteria lunches the school staff saved for them. For many taxpayers, these clinics are the only opportunity to receive face-to-face assistance. 

Volunteers are educators 

Beyond return preparation, VITA volunteers provide taxpayer education. Technical knowledge is only part of the role. They help taxpayers understand filing requirements and basic tax concepts.

Access and service matter just as much. The VITA program demonstrates how tax expertise can be applied in practical ways to support taxpayers and strengthen communities.