TAKING THE CERTIFICATION TEST ONLINE

For this season (2009-2010) any counselor who has done taxes for at least one season may take the test either on paper or online. Online test-taking is encouraged for these reasons:

No blank forms are needed The 2009 tax rules and the new 2009 TaxWise Online (TWO) software are used. No waiting for an instructor to grade your test. As soon as you enter your answers, your grade is determined.

The following section gives instructions for accessing Link & Learn for taking the test and the Practice Lab which you will use to do the returns in the test.

LINK & LEARN TAXES

On internet go to http://www.irs.gov/app/vita/ Click the Basic, Intermediate or Advanced tab. You must pass Basic first, then Intermediate, and finally Advanced in that order. Click the start course link near the top or at bottom of page. To complete a tax return, click the Practice Lab icon to the right. On the next page, click the Leave the IRS button. Enter the password learntwo (all lowercase). Click the Create new user link. Enter your zip code and email address. Click Create User ID button. The system will generate a 6-digit User ID. This will appear on the screen and be emailed to you.

Safeguard your User ID. It cannot be retrieved and you will need it every time you enter the Practice Lab. This number will also be used to replace the X’s for all identification numbers in the workbook and test scenarios. Practice returns will be lost if you lose your User ID.

Log into the Practice Lab using your User ID and zip code. Click New Return button on the menu bar or click Active returns at left if you are returning to a previous return.

Auto calculated form entries will not automatically be filled in. You must click on the Save button to have the calculated entries filled in. For example, on a W2 when you enter the taxable income and federal tax withheld, you can not enter the Social Security wages, Social Security tax, etc because they are calculated entries (unless you click on the box to remove calculations). When you click on the Save button, the correct values will appear. This also applies to the NY State income amount at the bottom of the W2. You must enter the “NY” and EIN information and click on Save before the NY Income amount will be shown. This applies to all forms.

Save every screen before leaving it. The Print function in Practice Lab is disabled.

COMPLETING THE TEST

After you do each test return, write down your answers to the test questions on the Test Answer Sheet in your book. When you have completed a section (e.g. Basic), then return to the Basic, Intermediate or Advanced page on Link and Learn and click the test link below the list of lessons. Answer the test questions and follow the instructions to submit all your answers online for that test level. Your grade will be shown. Then close that test result window. When you complete the Intermediate Level practice returns and you go to the Intermediate level test the first screen you see after you log in will show the Basic test result. If you want a certificate showing that you passed Basic, you can download that.

Note that some of the questions are different from what is in the book. That’s because they may use some questions from the retest instead of the test. You may get a true or false question instead of a multiple choice question or you may be asked a different question, so keep the book open to the scenarios when you take the test.

After you have successfully completed the Intermediate and Advanced tests, close the test result window and click again on the test link. The window will now show the results of all three tests. In addition to the link to download a completion certificate, on the right side there is a “click here” link to download your Volunteer Agreement. Download that form, which will have your grades for each test, and print the form. Save a copy on your computer.

You must sign the Volunteer Agreement page and send the completed Volunteer Agreement to your instructor or Local Coordinator of your site to be signed.