Has anyone looked at the annual IRS VITA grant program reports? They're published on IRS.gov and provide some general data on how many grants were awarded and total funding, though not site-specific information. Looking at the 2024 data, the average grant was around $85,000 with the expectation of completing approximately 3,500 returns per site, working out to roughly $24 per return. The competition for grants has definitely intensified - last year they only funded about 52% of applicants.

This is such a familiar story - I've seen the same pattern at multiple VITA sites over the years. The pressure to increase numbers often comes from a misunderstanding of how the grants actually work. One thing that helped at our site was requesting a volunteer feedback session with the coordinator. We presented data showing that our accuracy scores were excellent (98% quality review pass rate) but volunteer retention was dropping due to scheduling issues. We emphasized that losing experienced volunteers would hurt both quality and numbers in the long run. The coordinator didn't realize that the IRS actually weights quality metrics more heavily than volume in their evaluation process. Once we clarified this, they agreed to cap appointments at reasonable levels and stop extending shifts without advance notice. You might also want to check if your site has multiple funding sources with conflicting requirements. Sometimes coordinators are trying to meet metrics from United Way, local foundations, or educational institutions on top of IRS requirements, which creates unrealistic pressure. The volunteer agreement idea mentioned earlier is worth considering too - sites that invest in training deserve some commitment, but it should be reasonable (like 40 hours over the tax season, not unlimited availability).

Make sure you also review if your home country has a tax treaty with the US! This can make a BIG difference. Some countries have agreements that prevent double taxation on certain types of income.

As someone who went through a similar situation as an international student, I'd strongly recommend documenting everything now before you make any transactions. Keep records of your original purchase date, amount paid in your home currency, and the exchange rate on that date - you'll need this to calculate your cost basis in USD. Also, consider the timing of when you sell. If you've held the crypto for more than a year, any gains would qualify for long-term capital gains tax rates, which are generally lower than short-term rates. And since you mentioned you're an F-1 student who's been here 2.5 years, definitely look into whether you qualify as a non-resident alien for tax purposes - this could significantly impact how much you owe. One more tip: some states have no capital gains tax, so if you're planning to move after graduation, the timing of your crypto sales could matter for state tax purposes too.

9 Whatever you do, don't use Liberty Tax! My brother paid them $800 for three years of back taxes last year. They made several mistakes that resulted in him getting audited. When he went back to them for help, they wanted to charge him an additional $250 for "audit assistance" even though it was their error. Go with a reputable CPA or do it yourself with good software.

23 quick PSA: If you qualify for IRS Free File (income under $73,000), you can use free versions of tax software even for prior years. go to irs.gov/freefile and check which ones offer prior year returns. i did 2 years of back taxes thru them last yr for $0.

Maybe they need more information from you .

has anyone else noticed that the standard deduction increase didn't seem to help them much? i thought with the higher standard deduction we'd all be getting bigger refunds but my refund was tiny this year too.

This is actually a great example of how the tax system is supposed to work! I know it feels disappointing when you're expecting a bigger refund, but that $4 means your payroll department nailed the withholding calculations. Think about it this way - instead of getting a $700-900 refund like previous years, you actually got to keep an extra $60-75 per month in your paychecks throughout 2024. That money was available to you when you needed it rather than sitting with the government earning zero interest. The updated withholding tables are designed to be much more precise, which is why you're seeing this change even though your income and filing status stayed the same. If you really prefer getting a larger refund (even though it's not financially optimal), you can submit a new W-4 and request additional withholding on line 4(c) for this year.