Tax Time Savings Initiative, Collection of Post-Tax Season Data

Dear Site Lead,
ICF will conduct a set of focus groups with tax preparation volunteers about their experiences working
with taxpayers to encourage saving during this past tax season. The focus groups will be conducted by
ICF staff between May XXth-and YY. Each focus group will be approximately 60 minutes long, and will
include 6 to 8 participants from sites around the country. We are interested in hearing about volunteer
experiences with tax savings strategies your program used this tax season, challenges they encountered,
and what approaches they found to be successful and unsuccessful. We are also interested in volunteer
feedback on CFPB materials and resources.
We are requesting that you forward this opportunity to volunteers from your program. Some suggested
language to your volunteers follows.
BEGIN DRAFT VOLUNTEER EMAIL
Dear VITA volunteer
The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection is interested speaking to tax preparation volunteers from
XXX VITA program about your experiences working with taxpayers, and to get your feedback on what
strategies and approaches were most effective in encouraging taxpayers who get refunds to save during
this past tax season. The Bureau’s contractor ICF will be conducting focus groups of 6 to 8 volunteers
from different VITA programs around the country.
If you’re are interested in participating in one of these focus groups please click the following link to
indicate your availability between May XX-and YY: [URL] Someone from the ICF team, will follow up with
you once focus group times are confirmed. ICF is requesting that you include all times that you are
available, but you will only be participating in one focus group.
Thank you for considering this opportunity to provide feedback to the Bureau. Your participation is
strictly voluntary.
Sincerely
VITA Program Manager
END DRAFT VOLUNTEER EMAIL
Thank you for your assistance with this information collection.
Sincerely,
The ICF Research Team

Privacy Act Statement
5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(3)

The information you provide will assist the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (“Bureau”) gather
information about your qualifications to participate in this study that will allow us to learn about how you will
use or save your tax refund.
ICF will access personally identifiable information (PII) such as your name, email address, number, and
mailing address. The Bureau will only receive de-identified and aggregated data.
Information collected by the CFPB will be treated in accordance with the System of Records Notice
(“SORN”), CFPB.021 Consumer Education and Engagement Records, 79 FR 78839. Although the Bureau
does not anticipate further disclosing the information provided, it may be disclosed as indicated in the
Routine Uses described in the SORN. Direct identifying information will only be used by Bureau to facilitate
the study and will be kept private except as required by law.
This collection of information is authorized by Pub. L. No. 111-203, Title X, Sections 1013 and 1022,
codified at 12 U.S.C. §§ 5493 and 5512.
Participation in this study is voluntary, you are not required to participate or share any identifying
information with IC.