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VITA/TCE Advanced Course Curriculum

The Advanced course covers all tax topics in the Basic and Intermediate courses, plus additional pension topics as well as stock and sale of home issues for individuals and families. Volunteers assisting taxpayers with these income issues are required to take this course, which includes the following content:

  • Important Tax Law Changes
  • Course Introduction
  • Filing Basics
  • Filing Status
  • Personal Exemptions
  • Dependency Exemptions
  • Unique Filing Status and Exemption Situations
  • Income                                
  • Income - Business
  • Income - Capital Gains or Loss
  • Income - Retirement Income

VITA/TCE Advanced Course Curriculum ...

  • Income - Schedule K-1s
  • Income - Unemployment Compensation
  • Income - Social Security Benefits
  • Income - Other Income
  • Adjustments to Income
  • Standard Deduction and Tax Computation
  • Itemized Deductions
  • Credit for Child and Dependent Care Expenses
  • Education Credits
  • Foreign Tax Credit
  • Child Tax Credit
  • Miscellaneous Credits
  • Other Taxes
  • Payments
  • Earned Income Credit
  • Refund and Amount of Tax Owed
  • Concluding the Interview
  • Amended Returns

Other Training Materials, Resources and Tools...

  • Cancellation of Debt (optional Link & Link Taxes module)
  • Health Savings Account (optional Link & Learn Taxes module)
  • Advanced Comprehensive Problem & Exercises (Publication 4491-W)
  • Practice using the tax preparation software (accessible via Link & Learn Taxes - Practice Lab)
  • Practice using the interview tips in Publication 4012, Volunteer Resource Guide
  • Detailed discussion about the standards of conduct and signing the volunteer agreement
  • The testing, retesting and certification requirements (Form 6744)
  • Electronic resources on IRS.gov (i.e. Form & Publications Resource page, Partner & Volunteer Resource Center, searchable Publication 17, etc.)
  • Search IRS.gov to check-out the Interactive Tax Assistant, Withholding Calculator,  Sales tax deduction calculator, Interactive EITC Assistant, Form 1040 Central, Where's My Refund, and more.
Page Last Reviewed or Updated: 07-Oct-2015