For Details, Contact:
External Affairs
email: pacamail@ncua.gov
Fax: (703) 518-6409

NCUA and IRS Offer VITA Partnership Webcast

Alexandria, VA, November 2, 2007 – The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) is partnering with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to present a live Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Partnership webcast November 14, 2007, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EST. 

NCUA’s goal in offering the webcast is to expand the financial educational opportunities available to credit unions. The webcast is a collaboration between NCUA and two of its federal partners, the IRS and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, provider of the website production facilities. 

VITA is an IRS program that helps low and moderate income taxpayers complete their annual tax returns at no cost. Credit unions and community organizations receive training to prepare basic tax returns and establish tax preparation sites. The IRS provides the software and training.

View the webcast online at: http://www.hud.gov/webcasts/index.cfm. 

The webcast will emphasize the benefits to credit unions of partnering with other community organizations to offer the VITA program. By partnering with another organization, a credit union can gain experience in:

• Marketing and operating a VITA site;
• Conducting community outreach and awareness meetings;
• Providing financial education and asset building programs; and
• Recruiting volunteers. 

The agenda will feature:

• IRS presentation of the VITA Program
• Actual credit union experiences, including tips for partnering with community organizations
• A live Question and Answer session

All credit unions can participate in the webcast. No registration is required. Participants need a computer capable of playing sound, a connection to the Internet that is at least 56Kbs, and a video player that can be downloaded for free from the website above. We suggest you download the free video player and test some links before the webcast. 

The National Credit Union Administration is the independent federal agency that regulates, charters, and supervises federal credit unions. NCUA, with the backing of the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, also operates and manages the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF), insuring the deposits of nearly 86 million account holders in all federal credit unions and the majority of state-chartered credit unions.

-NCUA-