Hello and Welcome to AARP Tax Aide Activity Reporting Training for Portal System Users.

Hello and Welcome to AARP Tax Aide Activity Reporting Training for Portal System Users. Before you continue with this training presentation, it is critical that you are certain that your site is using the new, Portal Activity Reporting System and not the Traditional Activity Reporting System. If there is any question about which system is being used, please check with your Supervisor. A different training presentation is available for users of the Traditional Activity Reporting System. This training presentation is approximately 15 minutes in length and covers the importance of capturing and reporting services provided to taxpayers and describes each step of the Activity Reporting process, from the collection of statistics at the site through the input, review and approval of statistics into the web-based activity reporting system that resides within AARP Tax-Aide s Volunteer Portal. Your presenter is Stan Marshall, Regional Coordinator for New England, interim State Coordinator for Rhode Island, ERO, Counselor and former Administration Specialist for the State of Maine. 1

Activity reporting is the collection of tax return preparation and other services counts delivered by AARP Tax-Aide volunteers. These counts include the preparation of Federal, State and other Local Returns along with Questions & Answers that do not result in the preparation of a tax return. AARP Tax-Aide program sponsors require reports of both the number of returns prepared and the number of taxpayers served. The reports are used by our current sponsors to justify continued funding and to aid in securing additional funding. The collected data also helps all levels of leadership better manage site and program growth, our effectiveness and future needs. Some of the Activity Reporting counts are provided by the IRS, while other counts can only be obtained through our volunteers at the site level. 2

For the 2011 tax season, districts chose to use either the Portal or Traditional Activity Reporting System. This decision was made at either the District or State level. This chart summarizes reporting differences between the two reporting systems. In 2010, all sites reported all activity the same way. In 2011, a site s designation as either an E-file designated site or a paper designated site as well as the reporting system chosen determines the site s reporting method. Both Traditional and Portal E-File Sites are required to track Quality Review in TaxWise, which is why you see red X s next to Manually Track Quality Review for both Portal and Traditional Users. The key difference between the two reporting systems is that Portal Users will no longer manually track any e-filed returns, while Traditional Users will continue to track all returns. All Paper Designated Sites will continue to report as they did in 2010, regardless of which system is being used. 3

As a Portal Activity Reporting user, only paper-filed returns must be manually recorded, tabulated and reported by the site volunteers. This includes all paper-filed returns shown on this slide, regardless of whether the return was prepared using TaxWise or is a pencil & paper prepared return. Remember, record State or Local Returns only when they are prepared without also preparing a federal return. It is no longer necessary to record E-filed returns as the IRS will provide all the E-filed tax return counts. In addition to recording and reporting paper-filed returns, site volunteers must also record and report taxpayer assistance that is provided to taxpayers without the completion of a return (also known as Q & A). Only Paper-Designated Sites must record the Quality Reviewer s initials on the Site Sign In Sheet. A paper-designated site is a site that has the E-file indicator set to No in VMIS and the Site Management System. E-file designated sites must record the Quality Reviewer s initials in TaxWise Preparer Use Field #14 on the Main Information Sheet. If a return is prepared manually at an E- file designated site, it is no longer required to record the Quality Reviewer s initials on the Sign-In sheet. 4

There are 3 monthly reporting periods during the tax preparation season and a final reporting period that begins on May 1st and ends on August 31st. A 5-day grace period runs from Day 1 through Day 5, following the close of each reporting period. This grace period provides the local and district coordinators 5 days from the end of each activity reporting period to add, change, review and approve their activity totals. 5

This slide summarizes the actual process and steps that Local Coordinators should use to collect, tabulate and report their sites activities. There are three key steps. Step #1 Collect Data. The collection of data at the site must be captured on a real-time, taxpayer-by-taxpayer served basis using the Site Sign In Sheet (or a modified version thereof). Step #2 Tabulate. It is recommended that the Site Sign In Sheets be collected on a daily basis and tabulated at least weekly, if not daily. A Site Activity Collection Template is available and can be used to complete the tabulation tasks. The template is an Excel file that accompanies this training presentation and is available on the Extranet. Step #3 Report Data. On either a weekly or monthly basis, the cumulative monthly [aka month to date] totals for each type of activity are recorded in the web-based Activity Reporting System. This system is only available through AARP Tax-Aide s Volunteer Portal. A secure login is required. 6

Here is a sample of the Site Sign In Sheet for Portal Activity Reporting System Users. Portal Activity Reporting System sites must only track any paper filed returns and Q&A. It is also important to know if your site is an E-file or Paper-Designated Site, as the requirements for recording the Quality Reviewer s initials differ. E-file designated sites will NOT record Quality Review on the Site Sign-In sheet for ANY returns. E-file sites are, however, required to record Quality Review in the TaxWise software itself, on the Main Information Sheet in Preparer Use Field #14. The IRS will report to the AARP Tax-Aide National Office the number of Quality Reviews recorded in TaxWise, and it is from only the IRS reported data that Quality Review percentages will be calculated for E-file Designated Sites. The number of Quality Reviews divided by the number of Federal Returns E-filed will produce the Quality Review percentage that is documented for each E-file Designated Site. Paper-Designated Sites will continue to manually record Quality Reviews in Column 6 for all returns prepared, and the Quality Review percentage for Paper-Designated Sites will be calculated using the volunteer reported data. 7

Step #1 Collect Data Daily With Site Sign In Sheet. While only the names of taxpayers that have paper-filed returns or Q & A only assistance must be recorded on the Site Sign In Sheet, it can be easier and more effective for the overall management of the site to record every taxpayer s name, even if no services are recorded on the Site Sign in Sheet. Check the applicable boxes to indicate the type of service provided. Remember, in the Portal Activity Reporting System, boxes will only be checked for paperfiled returns and Q & As. All electronically-filed returns will be captured, counted and reported by the IRS. Do not check boxes for E-filed returns. Please, be sure to thoroughly review the instructions that are printed on the back of the Site Sign In Sheet. To better assist in understanding how to count activities, a separate reference document with 12 taxpayer scenarios is available on the Extranet and accompanies this training presentation. 8

Generally speaking, a taxpayer s name should be recorded only once on the Site Sign In Sheet, with the applicable services captured in the columns to the right of the taxpayer s name. Recording the taxpayer s name more than once can result in an overstatement of the number of taxpayers served. Because the counting of taxpayers served and the applicable activities is not a perfect science, we ask that when in doubt to err on the side of underreporting vs. over-reporting. Similarly, it is important that State or Local returns are only counted when they are NOT accompanied by the preparation of a Federal Return that was site-prepared for filing. If a Federal Return has been prepared, that taxpayer will already be included in the count of taxpayers served [If paper filed, it will be recorded on the Site Sign In Sheet. If electronically filed, it will be counted by the IRS]. If they are also counted in the State/Local Only Return column, the taxpayer would be counted twice. If the site prepares a Federal return merely to allow TaxWise to generate the State Return and the prepared /federal return will never be filed, then the service should be recorded as a State/Local Only Return. Column #6 for the Quality Reviewer s initials should be used only by Paper-Designated Sites. Regardless of how many services have been provided to a taxpayer, only one Quality Review per taxpayer should be recorded. 9

Here is an example of a partially completed Site Sign In Sheet for an E-file designated site. Note that the Quality Reviewer s initials column is not populated with initials and that in some cases, a taxpayer s name is recorded without any services being recorded. This is because the return that was prepared for the taxpayer will be E-filed, and E-filed returns are counted and reported by the IRS. The full version of this Site Sign In Sheet Example, along with the accompanying taxpayer scenarios that resulted in this output, accompanies this presentation as a separate document and can also be found on the Extranet. 10

Here is an example of a partially completed Site Sign In Sheet for a Paper- Designated Site. Note that Quality Review IS populated with initials and that services are recorded for every taxpayer. This is because a Paper-Designated Site typically isn t electronically filing returns and, therefore, must record all services provided. 11

Step #2 Tabulate Weekly. It is recommended that the Site Sign In Sheets be collected and tabulated at least weekly, if not daily, and that the Site Activity Collection Template (an Excel File that accompanies this training presentation, and is also available on the Extranet) be used to complete the tabulation tasks. Monthly totals for each type of service will be entered into the web-based Activity Reporting System through the Volunteer Portal during the 5-day grace period following the close of each monthly reporting period. 12

The Site Activity Collection Template offers Daily Tracking or Daily + Weekly Tracking or Weekly Tracking, to accommodate difference volunteer preferences. The above sample shows the Daily + Weekly Tracking option. We think you will find that these templates are easy to use and greatly simplify the task of tabulating data, by automatically calculating and displaying the cumulative monthly totals to be entered into the web-based Activity Reporting System at the end of each reporting period. 13

Step #3 Report Data Monthly. With monthly totals in hand, now it s time to enter these totals into the Activity Reporting System. You may choose to enter monthly totals with more frequency than only once at the end of the monthly reporting period, but you will simply be replacing your prior entry with the most current cumulative, month to date total. If you chose to enter data more frequently than monthly, use the Save button to enter the data. Only when your final, cumulative monthly total is entered, should you Submit your report. Once you click the Submit Button, only District Coordinators and Administration Specialists can edit the data for that monthly reporting period. (That happens once in a while.) 14

To access the web-based Activity Reporting System, you must log in to the Volunteer Portal. To enter the Volunteer Portal requires a secure login using your e-mail address and password. Once logged into the Volunteer Portal, you will find the Activity Reporting System by clicking on the Site menu and then Site Activity. All Local Coordinators and District Coordinators with valid e-mail addresses in the program s Volunteer Information Management System (VMIS) that had not already registered for a Portal account are pre registered. For those that had not registered for Portal accounts prior to December 13, please use your e-mail address (as listed in VMIS) along with your temporary password to log in to the Volunteer Portal. For those that do not have valid e-mail addresses in VMIS, your Administration Specialist must update your volunteer record in VMIS to include an e-mail address. After your Administration Specialist completes the entry of your e-mail address in VMIS, you may register for a Volunteer Portal account. The option to register for a portal account is available on the Volunteer Portal Home Page at the top right of the page. 15

Now we ll walk through the actual Activity Reporting screens, beginning with the Local Coordinator s view. See Area #1 above and note that the Columns match exactly to those on the Site Sign-In Sheet. The IRS reported counts for E-filed returns are not displayed in either the LC or DC activity reporting screens. However, District Coordinators may request IRS reported data from their Administration Specialist. Area #2 Year-to-date totals are displayed in the yellow highlighted boxes and represent the cumulative sum of all entries you have made and saved for the current tax preparation season. Area #3 Note that you can print a Site Activity Report. Area #4 - To enter your cumulative monthly data, hit the TAB button on your keyboard to move from field to field. If using the mouse to place the cursor in a field, be sure to drag the mouse over the current data in the field until all the numbers are highlighted. Only highlighted numbers are replaced. To avoid reporting the number incorrectly, please verify that the existing value in the field is completely replaced with the new value you wish to report. Area #5 - Note that only sites that are listed as active in the program s database will be displayed and, similarly, only sites to which you are assigned will be displayed. If you believe a site is missing from your list of sites, contact your District Coordinator. Area #6 - Definitions and Instructions for each of the types of activity being reported are available by placing the cursor over any of the Orange I buttons. 16

Please remember that the data you enter for each type of activity will REPLACE any prior entries made earlier in the reporting period. For instance, if you have chosen to enter data on a weekly basis during the monthly reporting period, you must enter cumulative monthly totals each week. For instance, if your site prepared, and you entered 10 Paper-Filed Federal Returns Current Year for Week 1, and then in Week 2 the Site prepared 5 Paper-Filed Federal Returns Current Year, you must enter a total of 15 your cumulative monthly total. Do not replace the number 10 that is displayed from the prior week s entry with a 5. Area #1 above highlights the Save Button. Remember to click the Save Button after every update session. Area #2 The Submit Button. Only when your final cumulative monthly totals have been entered, do you click the Submit button. If you click the Submit button prior to completing your cumulative monthly entries, only the District Coordinator or Administration Specialist can edit data for the remainder of the monthly reporting period and also after the close of the grace period. Area #3 The Reset Button. If you have updated your cumulative monthly totals, have not yet clicked the Save Button and wish to revert to the previously saved entries - click the Reset Button. Area #4 The Cancel Button. To exit the screen without saving your entries, click the Cancel Button. 17

After clicking the Submit Button, the above message is displayed as a safeguard. If you mistakenly clicked the Submit Button and have not completed your final cumulative monthly data entries, click No. By clicking Yes, you are acknowledging that you have completed all entries for the reporting period. 18

District Coordinators are able to review, edit and approve all entries made by Local Coordinators. The approval process, however, is only functional during the 5-Day Grace period that follows the end of each monthly reporting period. 19

This is the District Coordinator s view of the Activity Reporting Screen which can be accessed throughout each monthly reporting period. Note that the data for each site is listed by Local Coordinator. For all of the sites under each Local Coordinator, a current status is reported (see the areas marked #1 and #2). In #1, you can see that you are viewing activity that has been saved but not submitted by Local Coordinator Bob. If the District Coordinator has input or edited any site data and saved his/her entries, the status for that Local Coordinator will be modified to Saved by District Coordinator, as shown next to #2 for Local Coordinator Eric. Clicking the Recalculate button will refresh the total activity counts for all sites supervised by the District Coordinator. To edit/enter the data hit the TAB button on your keyboard to move from field to field. If using the mouse to place the cursor in a field, be sure to drag the mouse over the current data in the field until all the numbers are highlighted. Only highlighted numbers are replaced. To avoid reporting the number incorrectly, please verify that the existing value in the field is completely replaced with the new value you wish to report. IRS reported counts for E-filed returns are not displayed in either the LC or DC activity reporting screens. District Coordinators may request IRS reported data from their Administration Specialists. 20

The Approval Button is visible only during the 5-Day Grace Period and is only visible to District Coordinators. After the District Coordinator has reviewed the monthly entries submitted by each Local Coordinator, and made any required edits, he/she should click the Approve Button. After clicking the Approve Button, the District Coordinator will no longer be able to edit any data for the prior monthly reporting period. Only the Administration Specialist will be able to edit data after the District Coordinator has approved the monthly entries or after the 5-Day Grace Period has ended. (As an Administration Specialist I looked for DC approvals in the Activity Reporting System and followed up at the end of the grace period with any DC who had not shown they had approved the data.) 21

After clicking the Approve Button, the above message is displayed as a safeguard. If you mistakenly click the Approve Button and have not completed your final review and/or edits, click Cancel. By clicking Ok, you are acknowledging that you have completed all entries and reviewed the data for the reporting period. 22

That brings us to the close of Activity Reporting Training for Portal System Users. We highly recommend that you review both the Site Sign In Examples and Frequently Asked Questions documents. The web version of the Frequently Asked Questions document will be regularly updated on the Extranet throughout the activity reporting season, based on your feedback and experiences. For any questions or issues related to Activity Reporting, Local Coordinators should contact their District Coordinator and District Coordinators should contact their Administration Specialist. For only technical support issues related to registering for or accessing the volunteer portal, please send an e-mail directly to Tax-Aide-Ops@aarp.org Thank you for taking the time to view this training presentation and for all of your effort in support of our program to assist taxpayers. 23