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VITA Training Materials & Resources
VITA Training Materials & Resources
Access essential IRS training materials, certification guides, and tax preparation resources to help you successfully complete your VITA training and certification.
Whether you're a new or returning volunteer, these resources will help you build your tax preparation skills and prepare to serve individuals and families across California.
Select your training category below to access materials and certification resources.
IRS Publication 4012
IRS Publication 4012
Your Essential Guide to Accurate Tax Preparation
IRS Publication 4012 is a key reference guide for VITA volunteers, providing step-by-step instructions, charts, and tools to prepare accurate federal tax returns.
How Volunteers Can Use It:
Determine filing status and dependent eligibility.
Identify taxable and nontaxable income.
Apply tax deductions and credits, including EITC and CTC.
Follow TaxSlayer instructions and quality review procedures.
Important: Use Publication 4012 during IRS certification testing, hands-on training, and tax preparation. Always refer to the appropriate tax-year version and follow IRS VITA guidelines.
IRS Publication 6744
IRS Publication 6744
Your Guide to IRS VITA Certification
IRS Form 6744 helps VITA volunteers prepare for IRS certification exams through practice questions, tax scenarios, and certification tests.
How Volunteers Can Use It:
Prepare for Basic and Advanced certification exams.
Review Volunteer Standards of Conduct requirements.
Practice Intake/Interview and Quality Review procedures.
Prepare for Site Coordinator certification.
Practice tax scenarios using TaxSlayer Practice Lab.
Important: Use Form 6744 alongside IRS Publication 4012. Certification exams are open-book and must be completed independently through IRS Link & Learn Taxes.
IRS Publication 4491
IRS Publication 4491
Your Essential Guide to Learning Tax Preparation
IRS Publication 4491 helps VITA volunteers understand federal tax laws through lessons, examples, and practical exercises to prepare for Basic and Advanced certification.
How Volunteers Can Use It:
Learn filing status, dependents, income, and deductions.
Understand tax credits, including EITC, CTC, and education credits.
Practice tax preparation using real-world scenarios.
Prepare for IRS Basic and Advanced certification exams.
Important: Use Publication 4491 alongside Publication 4012 and Form 6744. Always use the appropriate tax-year version and review Publication 4491-X for updates.
IRS Link & Learn Taxes
IRS Link & Learn Taxes
Your Path to IRS VITA Certification
IRS Link & Learn Taxes is a free online platform offering self-paced tax law training and certification exams to help VITA volunteers prepare for tax return preparation.
How Volunteers Can Use It:
Access Basic and Advanced tax preparation lessons.
Complete required IRS certification exams.
Complete Volunteer Standards of Conduct certification.
Complete Intake/Interview and Quality Review certification.
Prepare for Site Coordinator certification.
Access certification results and Form 13615.
Important: IRS certification is required annually. Volunteers must complete the certifications required for their roles and submit Form 13615 to their VITA Site Coordinator before assisting taxpayers.
TaxSlayer Practice Lab
TaxSlayer Practice Lab
Practice. Learn. Build Confidence.
TaxSlayer Practice Lab is an online training platform that allows VITA volunteers to practice preparing federal and state tax returns using sample tax scenarios before assisting taxpayers.
How Volunteers Can Use It:
Learn to navigate TaxSlayer tax preparation software.
Practice Basic and Advanced tax return preparation.
Enter income, deductions, and tax credits.
Practice federal and California tax credits, including EITC, CTC, CalEITC, YCTC, and FYTC.
Complete practice scenarios from IRS Form 6744.
Review tax returns for accuracy and prepare for IRS certification.
Important: Use Practice Lab alongside IRS Publications 4012 and 4491 and Form 6744. Only use fictional taxpayer information or authorized training scenarios—never actual taxpayer information.
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