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Tools for planning, outreach, and working with taxpayers

Planning tools to strengthen services

The tax-time saving success of your clients can depend on your site having well-thought-out plans, putting the right staff in place, and working effectively together.

These tools can help you and your staff collectively develop a strong, customized program aimed at helping more clients achieve tax-time saving goals.

Description Action

Using Financial Guides to Promote Financial Well-Being at Tax Time
This document provides promising practices and recommendations for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs to improve consumers’ financial well-being at tax time.

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Savings activity planning guide for tax preparation programs
This guide provides information on how to more effectively measure saving behavior at tax time. Included are recommendations on the additional information to collect, three different approaches to collecting the information, and suggestions for integrating the information collection into the tax preparation process.

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Taxpayer experience map
This is a simple customer journey map for VITA programs to better understand what your customers see, feel, and experience at different stages of the tax preparation process.

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Idea capture and reflection worksheet
Brainstorm creative ideas for how your organization can actively encourage clients to save their refunds. Use it as a team exercise in your planning meetings or as a pre-meeting worksheet for staff.

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Effort and impact matrix
This matrix helps you review and compare your current activities to encourage saving and identify those with the most promise. Use it as a group exercise to prioritize ideas for further planning.

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Implementation plan outline
Identify outcomes and key implementation steps for one or more program activities. Use it during planning meetings for implementing new programming.

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Detailed implementation plan
Once you’ve outlined key programming outcomes and milestones, individual staff or teams can use this tool to develop detailed plans for implementing your ideas to encourage saving.

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Message triangle
Craft your key messages to effectively encourage clients to save at tax time.

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Anchored message worksheet
Encourage saving by employing the principle of “anchoring” to set expectations and help clients focus on a specific savings goal.

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Outreach materials to encourage saving

Post these materials around your office and online to attract attention to the benefits of tax-time saving and help your clients start thinking about their options before their appointment begins.

Download these materials instantly or order free printed copies . Please allow three to four weeks for delivery.

Tools to help taxpayers file and save

Share these worksheets and handouts with your clients before, during, and after their appointment to help them make sure they’re prepared to file their tax return and understand their best options for saving.

Download these materials instantly or order free printed copies . Please allow three to four weeks for delivery.

Flyers with information on Free File options

Download these one-page flyers (in English and Spanish) to help inform consumers of their options to file tax returns for free.