SERVE

Youth-led · High school chapters

High school students helping their communities file taxes for free.

SERVE is a youth-led organization that empowers high school students to become IRS-certified volunteers and provide free tax filing for under-resourced communities. Through streamlined training, chapter support, and partnerships with local IRS sites, students learn the tax system, earn certification, and provide free, accurate tax preparation through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, which has served communities nationwide since 1969.

Start a chapter See how it works

The mission

Good tax help shouldn’t depend on what you can afford.

We started SERVE after realizing that high school students could become IRS-certified VITA volunteers, but most students had no idea the opportunity existed. And even for those who did, figuring out the certification process and finding a site to volunteer at was not always straightforward.

The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides free tax preparation to lower-income taxpayers, people with disabilities, and taxpayers with limited English. VITA sites already operate in communities across the country. SERVE helps high school students become part of that system by making the training easier to navigate and helping certified students connect with local sites.

What began with students in the Boston area has since spread across the country. Our goal is to give students a clear way into VITA while helping more communities access free, accurate tax help

IRS Figures · 2025-2026

The VITA program by the numbers

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program is run by the IRS and its SPEC partners. The figures below describe that national program. Those counts include Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE). The IRS usually reports VITA and TCE together.

9,000+

VITA/TCE sites in the 2026 filing season

Free tax preparation is already happening in communities across the country. SERVE helps students become trained volunteers at partner sites.

2.8M+

Returns filed by VITA/TCE volunteers in 2026

Millions of taxpayers rely on VITA and TCE volunteers each year for free tax preparation. SERVE helps make VITA more accessible by expanding the volunteer force.

$3.37B+

In refunds back to taxpayers in 2026 VITA/TCE returns

A tax refund is money a taxpayer receives back from taxes they overpaid during the year, as well as from refundable tax credits they qualify for.

97%

Accuracy of 2025 VITA returns

IRS SPEC’s quality sample found a 97.66% accuracy rate at VITA sites.

Start a chapter and your school becomes part of this: certified students, a local VITA site, and refunds that stay nearby.

Start a chapter

National 2026 sites, returns, and refunds: IRS IR-2026-56. Volunteer count: IRS Data Book, FY 2025. Accuracy: IRS SPEC Publication 5347 (PDF). EITC unclaimed share and VITA income language: IRS EITC facts to share.

How a chapter starts

Four steps from application to volunteering.

  1. Apply

    Tell us about your school

    Fill out the chapter interest form and tell us a little about your school, your team, and why you want to bring SERVE to your community.

  2. Build your chapter

    Find an advisor and bring in your team

    Find a faculty advisor to sponsor the chapter at your school, then recruit a small group of students who want to become VITA volunteers. SERVE provides the materials you need to get started.

  3. Train & certify

    Get IRS-certified

    SERVE guides your chapter through the VITA curriculum and certification process. Three tests are required: Volunteer Standards of Conduct, Intake/Interview & Quality Review, and Basic tax law. The first two are multiple choice, while the third is mixed short answer and multiple choice. All three tests are open-note, with passing scores of 80%.

  4. Volunteer

    We help you find a VITA site

    SERVE works with your chapter to connect certified students with a local VITA site. During filing season, members volunteer alongside the site’s existing team and help prepare free tax returns.

Next:

Partnership

SERVE provides

  • Slide decks that walk the certification path
  • Quizlets and Kahoots for at-home practice
  • A clear order: VSC, then intake/quality review, then Basic
  • Help matching certified students to a nearby VITA site
  • A chapter playbook for weekly meetings and recruitment

Your chapter does

  • Finds a faculty advisor or adult sponsor
  • Recruits a committed group of classmates
  • Meets weekly and studies a little at home
  • Certifies through IRS Link & Learn Taxes
  • Shows up at the matched site during filing season

What you need to start

A school, a student lead, and a weekly hour.

  • A high school

    Public, independent, or charter. The chapter lives where students already meet.

  • One or two student leads

    You do not need tax experience. You do need someone who will keep the calendar.

  • An advisor — or a plan to find one

    A teacher, counselor, or other adult helps with space and school approval. Students still lead.

  • Internet and a room

    Link & Learn Taxes is online and free. SERVE’s study tools work on a laptop or Chromebook.

School-year timeline

Certify before filing season. Volunteer when it counts.

Weekly club meetings plus about ten to fifteen minutes of practice at home. Then a concentrated volunteer stretch from early February through mid-April.

  1. Fall

    Start a chapter

    Apply, find an advisor, recruit members, and start the first lessons.

  2. Early winter

    Certify

    Finish VSC and intake/quality review, then take Basic. Open-note. 80% to pass.

  3. Feb–mid-April

    Volunteer

    Serve at the matched VITA site. Hours are real, supervised, and documented.

  4. After season

    Lead the next class

    Hand the playbook to underclassmen. Some chapters keep meeting on financial literacy.

Questions

Straight answers before you apply.

Who can start a chapter?

High school students. An adult advisor or sponsor helps with school approval and a meeting room. You do not need prior tax knowledge.

Is SERVE the IRS?

No. SERVE is a youth-led organization that trains students and connects them to existing VITA sites. VITA is an IRS program. Certification rules and site work are set by the IRS and local site coordinators.

What certifications do students take?

Volunteers train and test on IRS Link & Learn Taxes. Chapters prepare for Volunteer Standards of Conduct, Intake/Interview & Quality Review, and Basic tax law. Tests are open-note. A passing score is 80%.

What is the time commitment?

Weekly club meetings run about 30-45 minutes, plus 10–15 minutes of Quizlets or practice at home. Filing season runs typically from February through mid-April, on a schedule the site sets; most students volunteer at least 2-3 hours per week.

Do I have to be 16?

While there is no age requirement to start a SERVE chapter, most on-site VITA volunteer roles are for students 16 and older. Younger students can still train, certify, and take chapter roles until they can serve at a site.

Are there any location restrictions?

Chapters must be located in the United States. Site matching depends on VITA partners near you.

What if I just need a tax return prepared?

Book a VITA or TCE site through the IRS, not through a chapter application. Students come to existing programs; taxpayers should start here: Find a VITA or TCE site.

Chapter interest

Bring SERVE to your high school.

Tell us who you are and where you go to school. Fill out the chapter application below.

Form not loading? Open the SERVE Chapter Application.