First Year Counselors

Orientation Sessions

All new  volunteers must attend one of the following orientation sessions at the Mason Government Center, 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale, Virginia.

• Thursday, November 20, 2025 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

• Saturday, November 22, 2025 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

At this session, we will check you in and review photo IDs starting at 9:30 and start the discussion at 10 am:

• The Tax-Aide program, and Northern Virginia's program in particular

• The Standards of Conduct and processes followed by the Tax-Aide program

• The tax training program, including expectations for counselor trainees

You can find the slides from the orientation here.

Tax Training for New Counselors

Training for new tax counselors will consist of nine half-day segments of instructor-led classes. Using a hands-on approach, volunteers learn tax law and how to prepare tax returns using the TaxSlayer software that is used at our Tax-Aide sites. Volunteers will work through sample exercises in class, and then need to complete homework assignments, and to study and practice on their own to master the material. 

There are two classes for new counselor training:

• Weekdays, 9 am to 4:30 pm with a working lunch 

  • • Friday, December 5, 2025

    • Monday, December 8, 2025

    •  Wednesday, December 10, 2025

    • Thursday, December 11, 2025

    • Friday, December 12, 9 am to 1:00 pm

• Weekends, Saturdays from 9 am to 4:30 pm and Sundays from 1 pm to 4:30 pm

  • • Saturday, December 6, 2025

    • Sunday, December 7, 2025

    • Saturday, December 13, 2025

    • Sunday, December 14, 2025

    • Saturday, January 10, 2026

    • Sunday, January 11, 2026

Please review the Welcome Video here.

Next, review and follow the directions for setting up your user accounts here. 

Instructor Slides

• Chromebook & Technology Orientation 

• Unit 1:  Screening and Interviewing

• Unit 2:  Andrews Exercise

• Unit 3:  Baker Exercise

• Unit 4:  Caldwell Exercise

• Unit 5:  Business Income

• Unit 6/7:  Davenport Exercise

• Unit 8A:  Finishing the Return

• Unit 8B:  Scope

• Unit 9:  Virginia Tax Law

Student Manual

• See the student manual here.
  
  

Certification Requirements

• See Appendix 1 of the Student Manual for the certification requirements.

Training Resources 

Every new Tax Counselor will receive some hard copy training materials.  The hard copy materials, as well as lots of other useful information, are available online.  Links to the Tax Training Resources are at https://ta-nttc.tiny.us/NTTC-Training-Resources. Resources most relevant to new counselors are at https://ta-nttc.tiny.us/NTTC-New-Vol-Training-Links

Much useful information is presented through YouTube videos. You will not see these just by searching YouTube.  You can access the New Volunteers Playlist here.