Meet Farooq, One of Our Student Tax Prep Volunteers

Are you interested in getting college credit? Over 150+ volunteers join us to help prepare free tax returns for low-income New Yorkers every tax season. Many of our volunteers are students who receive college credit for their time, and you can be one of them!

When you volunteer with us, not only do you get the chance to impact the community, you also gain valuable skills. Some benefits of becoming an Ariva Tax Prep Volunteer include tax preparer training, official certification through the IRS, free personal income tax preparation, and of course, a supportive volunteer community.

Farooq, one of our student volunteers who has worked with us for three years, discusses his volunteer experience.

“Volunteering with Ariva is such a rewarding experience,” he says. “You directly see how your work benefits lower-income people who need every dollar. They can’t afford to go to H&R Block. They need the tax return, and you get to help them receive it.”

On top of helping the community, Farooq found getting the IRS certification straightforward and fulfilling.

“You have to put in the time for the certification,” he stresses.”There’s a lot of material you have to learn. Remember, you’re serving low-income people, and you want to help them well. The IRS certification makes sure you won’t make mistakes. As long as you put in the time, you’ll get the certification. And the great thing is, you have Ariva to support you through the whole process.”

As an accounting major, Farooq found our free tax preparation program particularly useful because it helped him apply the lessons he was learning in his classes.

“Volunteering with Ariva gave me great experience in the tax field,” he says. “I passed the Advanced IRS exam last year, and I completed my Masters’s degree last summer. I’m now studying for the CPA. I look forward to continuing to build the skills I acquired with Ariva.”

Become a student volunteer like Farooq, serve the community, and gain critical experience to propel your educational and professional career. Become an Ariva Tax Prep Volunteer today!