Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Committee
Teleconference Meeting Minutes
August 7, 2007 12 PM – 1 PM ET

Designated Federal Official
Sandy McQuin, TAP Manager

Committee Members Present
Paul Brubaker, Pennsylvania
Patricia Bryant, Tennessee
Emilio Cecchi, Maryland
Laura Criel, New Mexico
Paul Duquette, Chair, Wisconsin
Harvey Epstein, New Hampshire
Harold Gadon, Rhode Island
Hank Mosler, Florida
Richard Rousseau, Vice-chair, Texas
Ferd Schneider, Ohio

Members Absent
Sandra Bland, Minnesota
Elizabeth Colvin, Texas
Carolyn Hutchinson, North Carolina

TAP Staff
Patti Robb, Note Taker

Visitor
Gil Yanuck, Panel Member

Paul Duquette welcomed everyone to the meeting. 

Quorum met.

Laura Criel said they are working on the volunteer test.  The various segments have been divided among the task force.  They had a conference call on August 1, and everyone is on target.  The test is pretty much what this committee wanted it to be.  Each section will have twenty questions.  They will not have questions that compound errors.  They have also been tasked to make sure all competencies are tested and are tested in the right part of the test.   She hasn’t seen other parts of the test other than what she worked on.  A beta test will be coming up.  A volunteer will be able to take the Link & Learn test twice (limit).  The same scenarios will be used for the test and retest, but the questions will be different.

Schneider saw the second draft of Publication 678W, Volunteer Student Guide, but it was without the appendices.  One of them will have the answer in them.  There are several problems in each section right now.  One of them is with TaxWise.  He had suspicions that the test will parallel the problems in the 678W.  He also found out that Cincinnati will get the Process Based Training (PBT) this year.  The kits that go out; some will have PBT, but most will get 678W.  Next year the plan is to eliminate the 678W.  He said he believes the answers will cover 2006 and 2007, but he will try to find out for sure and get back to the whole committee. 

Gil Yanuck said we are only going to be allowed to beta test TaxWise in October.  The instructor packet will not have the answers; you will have to ask for them.  The correct answers could be in the new publication.  You don’t have to have the final version of the software to know what is true. 

Criel said the test is using the 2007 draft form.  The competencies should be added to the 678W because we were instructed to test them. 

Schneider said the format is very similar to last year in the publication and the test. 

Pat Bryant said the revised Publication 3189 has been sent for review.  The practitioner Personal Identification Number (PIN) is shown as the preferred method.  There will be an area for the self select PIN for those who want to use it.  Paul Brubaker was working on Publication 4012.
Hal Gadon said with self select PIN, you will have to retain the W-2s, 1099s, etc.  Criel asked about the publications as they relate to the various tax forums going on.  What are they doing with the information being handed out at the forums.  McQuin was at the Chicago forum was not sure what they are doing. 

Bryant indicated that the changes will be for this filing system. 

Brubaker said the biggest change in Publication 4012 is in the instructions.  Tax law will still be in the front and there will be a yellow section on TaxWise.  They took out references that are specific to TaxWise.  Manual was reconstructed somewhat.  They tried to make it flow like you are doing a return.  Our last meeting was about three weeks ago.  Also, the TaxWise file name will be a randomly generated name and that is to improve security.  Anytime you are in doing backups, you can see the return you need.  This is only so the filename does not show up in the directories. 

Yanuck said the AARP Tax Aide was sent out this morning.  Once you get a copy of that, it will be pretty self explanatory. 
ACTION:  Gil will send a copy of the AARP Tax Aide to Duquette and he will forward to the whole committee. 

Bryant said you will not be able to get onto TaxWise online this year if you have not been on it before.  She said Microsoft may not delete temporary internet files when you exit the program.  Yanuck stated there are ways to delete these files but they suggest new users do not use. 
Schneider said he got an email from AARP last week, suggesting not using TaxWise online unless you used it last year.

No report.

TaxWise invited TAP and AARP Tax Aide to send a representative to Rome, GA, to be involved in the 2007 TaxWise beta test.  Hank Mosler will be attending this session.  Duquette thinks this is terribly important.  Mosler said we should suggest what we want to see tested.  There is no detailed vision set yet.  He was in touch with a tech in AARP, and he wants to see that all the new features are tested to make sure they work properly.  Mosler thought they should take tax scenarios to run through the test.  We have been collecting “improvement opportunities” to open a dialog.  If you have thoughts on what should be tested, please send them to me. 
ACTION:  VITA Committee members send input to Mosler on what areas to look at during the TaxWise Beta Testing opportunity.

Mosler will send out a collective list to ensure he is capturing everyone’s thoughts.

Duquette sent his listing of recommendations to be forwarded to the Program Owner.  He hasn’t received any responses from the VITA Committee members, so he will forward to Carol Barnett at COB tomorrow.  Mosler asked for one more day to look at the final paper. 

Duquette congratulated Mosler for being selected to meet with the Commissioner on August 16, 2007.  He will represent us well. 
Mosler asked if anyone had something specific they would like to see addressed.  We are also meeting with Rich Morgante, Director, Wage and Investment (W&I), after the meeting with the Commissioner.  Do you have any input for him? 
ACTION:  Please email Mosler with suggested topics for the meeting with the Commissioner and Rich Morgante. 

Schneider said he already sent his idea to Maryann Motza who was putting the list of topics to be addressed.  His suggestion was a revision to all the 1040 forms to make them standard.  It would make the training easier if they were all in the same format. 

McQuin said one of the main issues raised by the focus group during the Chicago Tax Forum was the uniformity of the Form 1099.  The focus group was made up of practitioners and preparers.
ACTION:  Duquette will send Mosler a copy of his and Schneider’s suggested topics for the meeting with the Commissioner and Rich Morgante.

Mosler will not work detailed issues, but will bring these issues to his attention.  Both Acting Commissioner Kevin Brown and his replacement Linda Stiff will be in attendance. 

Mosler said the Joint Committee talked about how to elect a new chair and vice chair for TAP for the annual meeting.  This information should be coming down through your area committees.  If you have suggestions, please forward them to your area chair. 

Duquette said there is a discussion going on right now on TAPSpace regarding the election process.  Schneider said he feels the largest problem is getting enough people to run for Chair and Vice-chair. 

None

McQuin is back as TAP manager in Milwaukee; her detail as Director, Low Income Tax Clinic (LITC) is completed.  Patti Robb was selected as the secretary to the TAP Director.

Duquette will ask Carol Hutchinson for a progress report on PBT. 
ACTION:  Set up a conference call with Carol Barnett, Sandy McQuin, Barbara Foley, and Paul Duquette.

Next meeting, September 4, 2007

• Gil will send a copy of the AARP Tax Aide to Duquette and he will forward to the whole committee. 
• Committee members send input to Mosler on what areas to look at during the TaxWise Beta Testing opportunity.
• Email Mosler with suggested topics for the meeting with the Commissioner and Rich Morgante. 
• Duquette will send Mosler a copy of his and Schneider’s suggested topics for the meeting with the Commissioner and Rich Morgante.