All volunteer tax preparation sites are assigned a SIDN number. It is imperative that all tax preparation sites are listed in STARS. As new sites are established, the STARS database assigns a SIDN automatically to all VITA, military VITA, co-located, and TCE non-AARP. AARP national headquarters assigns SIDN to their Tax-Aide sites. These SIDN should be unique

Partner information is required for all partners (includes coalitions) that deliver leveraged production. Without linking activity to a partner for tax preparation production, tax preparation production will be shown as "direct" activity. Outreach production is also linked to the partner.

Partner information captured in the partners module is also used to administer the annual Partner Satisfaction Survey. Information in the module must be kept up-to-date to ensure statistical validity of the sample and the information necessary to communicate with our partners.

Always select the SPEC programs a partner supports when creating a partner record. Update this information as the relationship develops and matures.

It serves to capture whether the partner received federal financial assistance (Title VI) and whether they certify they will not discriminate against potential recipients of the assistance.

The partners module also captures local affiliation with national organizations. Through linking local partners to national partners, Partnership and Product Development (P&PD) is able to provide their national partners with the impact of their involvement with SPEC.

Partners can also be linked to equipment loans to provide a comprehensive list of the IRS resources used to support their activities.

For instructions on use of the STARS Partners Module, refer to the STARS User Guides located on SPEC’s web page, The Point, at http://win.web.irs.gov/spec/stars/stars.htm.

(1) This contact module manages all volunteers or only those that serve in a position requiring interaction with SPEC such as site coordinator, primary partner contact, software and equipment contact or outreach contact.

Information captured includes street and e-mail addresses, phone and fax numbers, and designations of the roles the contact performs. These roles include primary contact, information provider or volunteer.

Volunteer information in this module can include identification, contact skills, training, training certification date and site assignment data.

It provides the opportunity to list a contact once even though they may serve in multiple roles such as partner contact, equipment contact, site contact, or production contact.

It provides key information for ensuring continued contact with those individuals which support our program. By having these contacts recorded in the system, continuity in relationships is assured even when the key relationship manager changes.

It provides a method for capturing e-mail addresses to allow for the push out of messages more quickly through e-mail over other methods.

Contact information included in this module is used by all other modules – partners, sites, equipment, tax software orders, and production. Information must be kept current to facilitate this use.

Contacts should only be deleted from STARS once determined they are not the person in control of IRS resources (e.g., printers and computers).

For instructions on use of the STARS Contacts Module, refer to the STARS User Guides located on SPEC’s web page, The Point, at http://win.web.irs.gov/spec/stars/stars.htm.

The sites module allows the user to input tax preparation site information into STARS for documenting the number, type, and location of sites providing free return preparation.

Information maintained in the database is also shared with the Servicewide Electronic Research Program (SERP) used by IRS toll-free assistors to inform the public of necessary locations, times, and special assistance offered at sites open to the general public. Sites not open to the general public are not shared with SERP. Only complete records meeting the criteria for SERP posting are shown. Missing information will prevent a site from displaying on SERP.

As a result of the module linkages in STARS, users have the capability of viewing all related information concerning the tax preparation site. The tabs displayed in this module include General Information, Days and Hours, Equipment, Volunteers & Contacts, Tax Software Orders, and Comments. Any special services provided at a site should be input.

It is imperative that all leveraged sites are linked to the partner that is operating the site. The sites not linked to a partner are considered direct sites in STARS and will not be counted as leveraged activity in the production reports.

All VITA/TCE non-AARP sites must be input into STARS by the territory, even if they will not be open to the general public. Sites not open to the general public include sites on military bases limited to base personnel or sites open to residents of a housing complex.

Basic AARP site information is provided by National AARP Tax-Aide and imported to STARS. For AARP sites, territory offices key the Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN) and languages, along with linking the site to contacts and/or partner information.

If a site operates in different locations, then each location must be entered into STARS with the different address, phone number, dates and hours of operation.

Sites are only considered active sites for the current year once the box "open for XXXX" is checked. XXXX is the current year, e.g., 2007, 2008, etc. If the data is not confirmed, do not check the "open for XXXX" box.

For all non-AARP sites, the Days and Hours tab must be populated except for appointment only sites. It is imperative that each day a site is open is entered separately in the Days, Time, E-file, and Other fields. If a site is open three days, then three entries must be made showing each individual day of the week. The Time field must be entered as HH:MM. The designation for AM or PM is also required. If you input, "Yes" to e-file, then each day e-file is offered must be indicated.

Once data is input into this section, it will populate the "gray box" with a continuous "string" of information. This is the information that is displayed in SERP for non-appointment only sites. If a site is marked appointment only, no information from this section goes to SERP.

Days and hours information is not required on "appointment only" sites but a phone number is required. Be sure this is input when appointment only is checked.

It is not necessary to re-input all VITA/TCE site information each year. Site information need only be updated once the information is provided by the partner. New non-AARP sites must be entered in STARS.

All required input fields must be input by early January for all sites opening in the upcoming filing season when we have good information.

When reviewing site information for accuracy, ensure that the:

For instructions on use of the STARS Sites Module, refer to the STARS User Guides located on SPEC’s web page, The Point at http://win.web.irs.gov/spec/stars/stars.htm.

The Equipment Module in STARS provides inventory for tracking equipment used in the VITA and TCE programs.

Equipment on loan must be linked to a contact and may be linked to a partner and/or a site. Information included in the module is shared with End User Equipment and Services for update of their Information Technology Asset Management System (ITAMS).

The equipment module allows SPEC to meet the requirement to provide annual inventory certification for ITAMS.

All computers and printers used to support the VITA/TCE volunteer return preparation effort must be controlled on STARS.

The system allows for linking equipment to the contact information recorded in STARS to eliminate the need to maintain separate systems with similar data. While equipment is on loan, it should reflect the appropriate contact information to allow SPEC to easily locate the equipment if needed. Users may also link the equipment to a partner and/or a site. Although not required, this is recommended because it will provide valuable information for relationship managers in assessing the productivity of the site or partner in relationship to the equipment we loan.

The system provides for electronic generation of the property loan agreement. Once equipment is assigned to a contact, the user may print the property loan agreement for that session. Subsequent loan of other equipment will generate a different loan agreement for the additional equipment.

The system will allow the reprint of a property loan agreement and provides the user an option to display all equipment loaned or only equipment loaned on a single loan agreement.

Effective controls on equipment provide territories and areas key information used to make decisions on whether to partner when technology resources are required to support the initiative.

For instructions on use of the STARS Equipment Module, refer to the STARS User Guides located on SPEC’s web page, The Point, at http://win.web.irs.gov/spec/stars/stars.htm.

Form 4913, SPEC Activity Report, Form 13315, Partner/Contact Outreach Activity Report, and Form 13206, Volunteer Assistance Summary Report, are used to record the information around volunteers and outreach and are then input into the Production Module.

This module is used to record all outreach activity for the SPEC organization.

This module allows viewing or printing of production reports for any period within the current fiscal year.

The STARS database allows linking of leveraged program accomplishments to the partner. By linking the production to the partner, SPEC is able to measure its return on investment around support of partners. Recordation of information in this format allows territories to evaluate their coverage on the messages delivered.

For instructions on use of the STARS Production Module, refer to the STARS User Guides located on SPEC’s web page, The Point at http://win.web.irs.gov/spec/stars/stars.htm.

The tax software orders module provides for electronic generation of a "real-time" inventory of software by territory and by area.

The module builds from the information contained in the Sites and Contacts Modules. Before an order can be placed, the site must be in the sites module and must be identified as an e-file site. The site name, address, program type, SIDN, EFIN and transmitting EFIN are populated from the sites module.

No changes to this information can be made in the tax software orders module. If any information is missing or inaccurate, the changes must be made in the sites module.

The shipping address, shipping name, phone number, and e-mail address, are populated from the contacts module. It is very important that the e-mail address provided with the software order is accurate. This e-mail address is automatically loaded in the vendor’s e-mail group code and is used to provide shipping and update information to the individual. For this reason, do not use the IRS SPEC Relationship Manager’s e-mail address unless the site is managed by the IRS SPEC Relationship Manager.

The territory offices are responsible for the order accuracy and the input of all orders in STARS.

For instructions on use of the STARS Tax Software Orders Module, refer to the STARS User Guides located on SPEC’s web page, The Point, at http://win.web.irs.gov/spec/stars/stars.htm.

Form 4913, SPEC Statistical Report, and Form 13315, Partner Outreach Activity Report, will be used to capture disaster related returns and in the remarks section the preparer should write "disaster returns prepared."

Employees are only to use the "all other outreach" category on both Forms 4913 and 13315 to capture taxpayers assisted through activities related to disaster support. National headquarters will use this information to report taxpayers assisted to IRS Executives.

SETR Codes for disaster support should be followed. For current SETR Codes, please see SETR Codes for SPEC located on the SPEC intranet home page located at http://publish.no.irs.gov/docs/pdf/32816C07.PDFunder "Reference."

Territory managers or their representatives are asked to send an e-mail to the appropriate area analyst within 5 business days after completion of the special event. The e-mail must include:

The Area will send reports by the 15th day of each month to the P&PD, E&PD and a copy to Oversight and Analysis. The report periods are monthly based on calendar year, such as 1/1 – 1/31, due 2/15. Employee time and taxpayers assisted through outreach events prior to 1/1/07 will be reported by national headquarters.

National headquarters will also be reporting all costs associated with development of products and distributions, travel, training (products and travel), and relocation of impacted employees. SPEC employees are reminded to use accurate program codes for travel related to disaster support.

Volunteer site reviews help us ensure consistency of operations and accuracy of return preparation.

Below are tips for:

On-site review is an important part of the VITA and TCE operation. To improve the quality and consistent performance of sites, the territory office should conduct reviews. The review process will help the partner and territory office identify and correct problem areas or share best practices with other sites.

In planning site reviews, it may be necessary to prioritize which sites will be visited during the current year. Use the following criteria.

Site reviews should not be a surprise to site coordinators or volunteers. Contact the site coordinator to arrange the date and time of the review, and to ensure coordinators availability. Reviewers should always take into account the continuing operation of the site during the visit. Most site visits should be conducted between February 1 and April 15. However, visits can be conducted whenever the site is open.

Some pre-work will need to be done before going on the site review. The Tax Specialist doing the visit may need to obtain the following information to verify its accuracy when applicable:

Reviewers should use the Form 6729, Quality Site Review Sheet, to conduct consistent reviews. Record the outcome of the review on these documents, with any additional information attached when necessary. The review may be expanded to include other topics as dictated by the partner and any special needs of the site.

Reference Material for Site Reviews:
Use the following publications and documents to assist with the review of VITA/TCE operations:

Reviewers should observe the site’s activities and procedures while conducting the site review. The site coordinator or their representative may be asked for clarification on site processes.

In all cases, tax specialists should take the opportunity to express gratitude and appreciation to the site coordinator and volunteers at the site.

In instances where a review reveals a finding requiring a change on how the site operates, the reviewer should discuss the issue and its resolution with the site coordinator prior to leaving the site, and report it to the relationship manager assigned to the site.

All partners are encouraged to conduct site and return reviews of sites associated with their volunteer organization. Partner or volunteer conducted site reviews help to ensure consistency of operations and accuracy of return preparation. The partnering organization should establish a schedule to visit the sites in their areas, using a standardized approach including establishing a frequency of review, a method in conducting reviews and performing follow-up reviews.

It may be necessary to conduct a follow-up review of a site to ensure adherence to a requested change in operations. These follow-up reviews should be looked upon as a way to assist site coordinators in improving their site operations or possibly to assist them in adopting other best practices to alleviate pitfalls they may have encountered. Follow-up reviews should be conducted within 5 days of the initial visit.

The timing of a follow up review may be strongly influenced by the issues to be resolved. For instance, a site needs to make changes in its electronic filing transmission process but they only transmit once a week. It would not be of benefit to visit the site when they are not transmitting. In the event the review reveals a site disregarding the rules, the coordinator should be instructed on how to bring the site into compliance. A follow up review should be conducted to ensure the site has corrected the concerns. If the site has not corrected the concerns identified, consult with the territory manager to determine what further action should be taken. As a last resort, procedures should be followed for closing a site. These procedures are located in the VITA/TCE Site Requirements and Inappropriate Activities.

At the end of the filing season the IRS territory office will analyze the data from site reviews and complete an analysis. The analysis will help IRS and partners to measure and assess sites' current and future states, and validate the accuracy of operation. This will also allow IRS and partners a way to effectively measure the continued success of volunteer sites. The IRS territory office will analyze the data for trends or patterns and compare how a process or activity is performing (before and after a solution has been put in place). A template will be provided to the IRS territory office for reporting the results of the analysis and for sharing with partners. The report is due to IRS SPEC headquarters by June 30. The information from the analysis will be used to update publications and forms and to improve volunteer training for the upcoming filing season.

Prior to the shopping visit, the shopper will contact the Area Quality Analyst and the territory manager (TM). The TM will be contacted to request assistance from the relationship manager (RM) or other designated territory contact. The contact person, designated by the TM, does not have to be the assigned site RM; however, for the purpose of our shopping reviews, the contact person will take on the role of the relationship manager. The tax specialist assigned as the contact person must conduct a site review after the shopping review is completed. Once the TM has provided a contact person, the shopper will make the contact to request assistance from the territory office using the following procedures:

Pre-Visit -

After Review (In Site) -

After Review (Out of Site) -

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) conducts reviews of VITA and TCE sites to measure accuracy of return preparation. In general the same method is employed as with a SPEC shopping visit except that the pre-notification time frame is significantly reduced. At the conclusion of a TIGTA shopping review, the RM (or assigned tax specialists) will facilitate the exit strategy.

Volunteers who answer tax law questions, instruct tax law, prepare or correct tax returns, and/or conduct quality reviews must pass the IRS test and be certified annually based on the level of return they are preparing, reviewing, etc. A certified volunteer is an individual who annually has successfully trained and passed the IRS test with a score of 80% or higher. Volunteers cannot engage in activities that involve answering tax law questions, instructing tax law, preparing or correcting tax returns or conducting quality reviews until they have completed their annual certification requirements. Volunteers cannot perform activities outside of their certification level.