1 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Approach to Counselor Training Bob Eslinger Pacific Region Training Advisor

2 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Items to be Covered  Introduction to ShareNet  Training Guide -Process Based training  Principle of Adult Learning  Interviewing techniques  Supporting documentation  Training plans - new/returning counselors  Training approach  Take the test on L&L  Setting up TWO for training  Documentation Available

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9 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Power Point Slides  Process based tax training  Updated for 2012 on ShareNet  2011 Modules also included on ShareNet  Integrated with Pubs 4491W  References to Pub 4012, Pub 4491 & Pub 17

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12 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Site and Volunteers

13 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 ShareNet Training Documents

14 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 ADULT LEARNING  MINIMIZE THEORY  USE PRACTICAL DISCUSSION  INTEGRATE NEW IDEAS WITH EXISTING KNOWLEDGE  REALISTIC PRACTICE PROBLEMS

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16 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 ADULT LEARNING  START SIMPLE  PROVIDE FEEDBACK  CHALLENGE BUT NOT OVERWHELM  SELF-ESTEEM IMPORTANT

17 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 SCREENING & INTERVIEWING Pub 4491Lesson 2 Pub 4012Intro, Tab A Tabs 1, 7-9, 13 Form C (Intake/Interview & Quality Review Sheet)

18 AZ Instructor Workshop STEP INTERVIEW PROCESS  Cultivate a comfortable environment & put taxpayer at ease  Use active listening skills  Review taxpayers responses to intake questions  Work with taxpayer to complete critical questions  Advise TP of the next steps

19 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 EFFECTIVE INTERVIEWING 4012 Intro  Speak clearly, simply, and loud enough  Build rapport, LISTEN  Reassure the client (“I understand”)  Ask effective questions, eg, probing and open- ended  Allow the client time to respond  Involve the client in the process

20 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 INTERVIEWING: KEY QUESTIONS  Living Situation  Who lives in house/apartment?  # of months each in home?  Relationship?  Dependent?  If married, lived together when?

21 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 PRESENTATION  KEYS TO A GOOD PRESENTATION  ENTHUSIASM  SPEAK CLEARLY  LOUD ENOUGH TO BE HEARD  TALK AT AUDIENCE – NOT DOWN TO THEM

22 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Training This Year  Training will be conducted using 2011 Tax Law and 2011 Tax Software.  Once 2012 Tax Law is defined 2012 Pub 4012 will be issued along with a pub 4491-X and a CD with all 2012 publications and forms.

23 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Use TWO for Training  Desktop and TWO EROs can setup TWO Training for counselors  Must use Internet Explorer  All counselors required to complete 4 exercises using TW

24 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION  Pub 4012 Volunteer Resource Guide  Pub 4491 (hard copy or CD) Training Guide  Pub 4491W Comprehensive Problems & Exercises  Pub 17 Your Federal Income Tax Guide  Pub 6744 Volunteer Test/Retest

25 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Certification Requirements  All volunteers must attend presentation on Standards of Conduct, pass the standard of conduct test (80%) and sign Form Standards of Conduct Agreement  All counselors must attend training & pass basic, intermediate and advanced test (80%) and prepare 4 exercises assigned by instructor

26 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Take the Test On L&L  All counselor can certify on L&L  Problems can be prepared on Practice Lab, TWO or desktop  Form Volunteer Agreement can be printed when test completed  Biggest Advantage – Instructor doesn’t have to grade test  See document [Take the Test Using Link & Learn (11/14)

27 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Counselor Certification Continued  Lead instructor should collect Form and inform LC of certified counselors and other counselors who have passed the Standards of Conduct (CF/TC).  All Form 13615s must be signed by instructor & a copy submitted to Sandy Liska either by mail, fax or . For new counselor she will also need the supervisor name.  8103 E Southern Ave Lot 73  Mesa AZ  

28 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Counselor Certification Continued  If LC grades the test and has the counselor sign Form 13615, the form should be signed by the LC, a copy sent to Sandy and the instructor should be informed.  The Form 13615s should be retained at the local level until the end of the season  Sandy will provide the list of certified counselors to the IRS  The list of AZ certified counselors will be available online.

29 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Training – New Counselors  Use training slides See sample plans – ShareNet  Use Link & Learn – For training & taking test  Any training should reference Pub 4012  Use 4491 as applicable  Any training should use 4491W exercises  Prepare 4 exercises as part of certification  Successfully complete test and sign  Send to Sandy along with the name of the new counselor’s supervisor

30 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Recommended Exercises  Baylor – Military retiree, wife has died, caring for grandchild, div, pension, SS, and itemized deductions  Fleming – Divorced woman, 2 kids, INT, IRA, pension, self employment, W-2, EITC  Sterling – Retired couple, INT, DIV, stock sale, pension and SS  Kent Comprehensive – Most everything except EITC. Line by Line answers

31 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 SAMPLE NEW COUNSELOR AGENDA

32 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 NEW COUNSELOR – DAY 2

33 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 NEW COUNSELOR – DAY 3

34 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 NEW COUNSELOR – DAY 4

35 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 NEW COUNSELOR – DAY 5

36 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 SAMPLE RETURNING COUNSELOR ONE DAY AGENDA - MORNING

37 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 SAMPLE RETURNING COUNSELOR AGENDA - AFTERNOON

38 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 SAMPLE RETURNING COUNSELOR THREE DAY AGENDA

39 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 SAMPLE RETURNING COUNSELOR THREE DAY AGENDA

40 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 SAMPLE RETURNING COUNSELOR THREE DAY AGENDA

41 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 ALTERNATIVE TRAINING OPTION  New policy for potential counselors who do not have ability to attend all classes  Must obtain approval from District Training Coordinator  Must attend in person  AARPFTA Policies/Procedures  IRS Standards of Conduct  No more than ½ training via self-study  All program certification must be met

42 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 ALTERNATIVE TRAINING OPTION  Experienced Volunteers – 12 hours classroom, on-line & home study for balance of training  New Volunteers – 20 hours classroom, on- line & home study for balance of training  See portal ShareNet for suggested agenda

43 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 RETURNING COUNSELOR TRAINING EVALUATION – 2012  Was the class worth the investment of your time?  What subject was most important to you?  What subject wasn’t covered that you would have liked to have covered?  What could be improved?  Other comments

44 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Other Training  District must decide approach to train ERO’s.  Reference ERO Presentation on ShareNet  As a minimum, a mentor (experience ERO) should be assigned to any new ERO  Client Facilitator and any other volunteer must pass Standards of Conduct test  Reference Client Facilitator training on the ShareNet

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48 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 AZ Tax Site   Should be the first place to look for information  aide.org/Pages/NewMemLinks.html aide.org/Pages/NewMemLinks.html  Bypasses entry page and goes directly to counselor information page or  Click on cactus

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52 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Take The Test On L&L

53 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Create New Account

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55 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Take the Test Using L&L

56 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Complete Test & Print F13615

57 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Why Use TWO for Training  Any counselor can log into TWO as long as they have IE and high speed internet access  Practice Lab has been unreliable, does not include a forms tree and doesn’t have good tax form defaults  Can switch to TW12 once decision is made to move.  When counselor has a problem, instructor can log into counselors account

58 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Counselor Training Support  Desktop users can access current year TWO until January 31,  For information on setting up Desktop TWO see [Technology Software][TaxWise Online] “Using TWO with a Desktop EFIN for Training] on ShareNet”  Provides implementation details

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60 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Setup TWO Users  TWO or Desktop TWO Admin user can log into TWO Training  for 2012 software (when it is released)  for 2011 software (software to be used to support the test)  Enter Client ID; Admin for user; Password  Once logged in Admin user can setup users

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63 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Considerations  All exercise SSN formats are xxx-yy-zzzz  xxx - exercise number  yy - unique user number  zzzz – last four digits of EFIN  User names exist forever (returns created last year exist forever, even if practice returns have been deleted or inactive)  Assign new unique number so 2011 returns will not be recreated.  Assign users [Return Preparer]

64 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Unsatisfactory Tree and TFD’s

65 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Setup TWO Tree/TFD’s  Add forms to the tree to support tax form defaults (TFD).  Add Capital Gains Worksheet and 6 copies of 8949; A-ST, A-LT, B-ST, B-LT, C-ST, C-LT  Set Tax Form Defaults using “Suggested Default Templates for TWO 2011” on [Technology Software] [TaxWise Online] [Suggested Default Templates for TWO 2011]

66 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Setup Basic TWO Settings  Administrator Settings, User Settings, Custom Fields, Return Stage, Print Sets  Set online settings using “Suggested TaxWise Online Settings” on [Technology Software][TaxWise Online]

67 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 TaxWise Online Settings

68 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Ready to Train on TWO  Reference Blue Tabs on Pub 4012 Volunteer Resource Guide  CCF Brainshark/videos in the 2011 CCH Training IRS%20Training/Training%20Homepage.html

69 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 TaxWise Online Administration for VITA/TCE

70 AZ Instructor Workshop 2012 Reference Material on ShareNet/AZ Tax  2012 Training Guide  Power Point Training Slides  Client Facilitator Training  ERO Training  Volunteer Standards of Conduct  Volunteer Standards of Professionism  Volunteer Certification Process  Alternate Training Options  Taxpayer Information and Responsibilities  Volunteer Portal - Overview

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