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

OMB No. 3170-0036
Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX

End of Tax Season Online Survey
for Site Leads
Thank you for participating in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB’s) Tax Time Savings
Initiative in (year), and for agreeing to complete this survey about your experiences this past tax
season. While participation in this survey is strictly voluntary, the information you provide will be
extremely helpful to the Bureau in getting a better understanding about how organizations such as
yours integrate savings promotion strategies in their Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs,
and the value that the Bureau can provide in support of those efforts.
Please note that the Bureau intends to keep your responses private to the extent permitted by law, and
when results are reported none of your answers will be connected to your organization.
We estimate that this survey will take no more than 30 minutes to complete. We would appreciate
your reply by May 15, (year). If you have any questions, please contact (Contractor survey contact] at
[phone number] or [email address].
Privacy Act Statement
U.S.C. 552a(e)(3)
The information you provide through your responses to (CONTRACTOR NAME) will assist the study
sponsor, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”), in getting a better understanding about
how your organization integrates savings promotion strategies.
The CFPB will access basic contact information such as your name, address, phone number, email
address, or mailing address.
Information collected on behalf of the Bureau by (CONTRACTOR NAME) will be treated in accordance
with the System of Records Notice (“SORN”), Consumer Education and Engagement Records CFPB.021,
83 FR 23435. 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 (CONTRACTOR NAME) 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 (CONTRACTOR NAME) and you may withdraw participation at any time.

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Paperwork Reduction Act Statement
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and not
withstanding any other provision of law a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information
unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 31700036. It expires on xx/xx/xxxx. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to
average approximately 30 minutes per response. Comments regarding this collection of information,
including the estimated response time, suggestions for improving the usefulness of the information, or
suggestions for reducing the burden to respond to this collection should be submitted to the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau (Attention: PRA Office), 1700 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20552, or by
email to [email protected].
1. Did anyone from your organization participate in one of the webinars about the CFPB’s
Tax Time Savings Initiative that was offered in December (year) or January (year)?
(RESPONSE OPTIONS: Yes/No)
If Yes:
a) How useful was this webinar? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: Very
useful/Useful/Somewhat useful/Not at all useful/Don’t know)
b) What, if anything, was particularly useful about this webinar?
c) What recommendations do you have for how similar webinars could be
improved in future years?
2. Did you provide staff with site coordination or management responsibilities with
training for the (year) tax season in how to encourage taxpayers to save some or all of
their refunds? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: Yes, in the context of other training/Yes, as a
separate training/No)
If Yes:
a) How did you provide this training? Check all that apply. (RESPONSE OPTIONS:
Face-to-face presentations/Recorded CFPB materials/Participation in live CFPB
webinars/Using written materials from CFPB/Other (specify))
b) What proportion of your staff with site coordination or management
responsibilities participated in training for the 2017 tax season in how to
encourage taxpayers to save some or all of their refunds? (RESPONSE
OPTIONS: All or almost all/most/some/a few)
c) To what extent was training on savings promotion strategies useful to the staff
that received it? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: Very useful/Useful/Somewhat
useful/Not at all useful)
d) What aspects of this training, if any, were particularly effective?
e) Is there anything that you would like to do differently in future years related to
training on savings promotion?
f)

How can the CFPB support you in your efforts to train your staff on savings
promotion?
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3. Are there any training materials or other resources that the CFPB could provide that
would help more effectively train staff and volunteers on savings promotion topics? If
so, what are they?
4. Which of the following types of taxpayer-facing materials provided by the CFPB did
you use at your site?
a) Worksheets for taxpayers? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: Yes/No)
b) Table tents? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: Yes/No)
c) Social media share graphics? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: Yes/No)
d) Handouts/information sheets? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: Yes/No)
e) Posters? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: Yes/No)
f)

Video? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: Yes/No)

If at least one of (a) through (f) is Yes:
g) In what ways were these materials effective?
h) In what ways could these materials be improved?
5. Are there any other types of resources or materials related to savings
promotion that would you like the CFPB to provide? If so, what?
6. The (year) Tax Time Savings Initiative focused on seven promising practices. Of these
seven promising practices, which three do you believe are most important to sites
seeking to promote saving? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: List of seven practices; respondents
are allowed to check three)
The next section of the survey will ask you about each of these practices individually.
7. Promising Practice #1: Communicate with taxpayers about savings before they come to
the tax site.
a) Is this something you tried to do at your tax site(s) this year? (RESPONSE
OPTIONS: Yes/No/Unsure)
If Yes:
a) On a scale of 1 (least effective) to 5 (most effective), how effective did you find
this promising practice to be in encouraging taxpayers to save all or some of
their refunds? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: 1 to 5 or don’t know)
•

If 1 or 2: Why don’t you think these strategies were effective? How
could it be made more effective?

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b) Please describe how you communicated with taxpayers about savings
before they arrived at your site(s).
c) What advice do you have for other tax sites related to this promising
practice?
If No:
d) Please describe why you chose not to implement this practice at your tax
site(s) this year.
8. Promising Practice #2: Offer the saving option more than once at the tax site.
a) Is this something you tried to do at your tax site(s) this year? (RESPONSE
OPTIONS: Yes/No/Unsure)
If Yes:
b) On a scale of 1 (least effective) to 5 (most effective), how effective did you find
this promising practice to be in encouraging taxpayers to save all or some of
their refunds? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: 1 to 5 or don’t know)
•

If 1 or 2: Why don’t you think this practice was effective? How
could it be made more effective?

c) Please describe how you offered the savings option to each taxpayer more than
once at your tax site(s).
d) What advice do you have for other tax sites related to this promising
practice?
If No:
e) Please describe why you chose not to implement this practice at your tax
site(s) this year.
9. Promising Practice #3: Make sure tax preparers know how to help taxpayers save while
filing.
a) Is this something you tried to do at your tax site(s) this year? (RESPONSE
OPTIONS: Yes/No/Unsure)
If Yes:
b) On a scale of 1 (least effective) to 5 (most effective), how effective did you find
this promising practice to be in encouraging taxpayers to save all or some of
their refunds? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: 1 to 5 or don’t know)
•

If 1 or 2: Why don’t you think this practice was effective? How
could it be made more effective?

c) How did you provide training on savings promotion strategies to your tax
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preparers? Check all that apply. (RESPONSE OPTIONS: Face-to-face
presentations/Showing tax preparers recorded CFPB materials/Having tax
preparers participate in live CFPB webinars/Using written materials from
CFPB/Other (specify))
d) Did you make training related to savings promotion strategies part of your
regular tax prep training, or did volunteers and staff receive it separately?
(RESPONSE OPTIONS: Part of regular tax prep saving/Separately)
e) What proportion of your tax preparers participated in training for the 2017 tax
season in how to encourage taxpayers to save some or all their refunds?
(RESPONSE OPTIONS: All or almost all/most/some/a few)
f)

What aspects of this training, if any, were particularly effective?

g) Do you think your tax preparers felt comfortable encouraging taxpayers to
save? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: Yes/No/Unsure)
•

If No or Unsure: Why do you think your tax preparers were not fully
comfortable encouraging taxpayers to save?

h) Is there anything that you would like to do differently in future years related to
training your tax preparers on tax time savings?
i)

How can the CFPB support you in your efforts to train tax preparers?

j)

What advice do you have for other tax sites related to this promising
practice?

If No:
k) Please describe why you chose not to implement this practice at your tax
site(s) this year.
10. Promising Practice #4: Dedicate staff or volunteers to promoting saving.
a) Is this something you tried to do at your tax site(s) this year? (RESPONSE
OPTIONS: Yes/No/Unsure)
If Yes:
a) On a scale of 1 (least effective) to 5 (most effective), how effective did you find
this promising practice to be in encouraging taxpayers to save all or some of
their refunds? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: 1 to 5 or don’t know)
•

If 1 or 2: Why don’t you think this practice was effective? How
could it be made more effective?

b) Please describe how staff members or volunteers were dedicated
specifically to promoting saving. What was their role, and how did they
interact with taxpayers?
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c) What advice do you have for other tax sites related to this promising
practice?
If No:
d) Please describe why you chose not to implement this practice at your tax
site(s) this year.
11. Promising Practice #5: Use suggested savings amounts and prompts to help taxpayers
focus on a savings goal.
a) Is this something you tried to do at your tax site(s) this year? (RESPONSE
OPTIONS: Yes/No/Unsure)
If Yes:
a) On a scale of 1 (least effective) to 5 (most effective), how effective did you find
this promising practice to be in encouraging taxpayers to save all or some of
their refunds? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: 1 to 5 or don’t know)
•

If 1 or 2: Why don’t you think this practice was effective? How
could it be made more effective?

b) Please describe how you used suggested savings amounts and prompts to help
taxpayers focus on a savings goal. How did you provide these recommended
amounts and prompts to taxpayers?
c) What advice do you have for other tax sites related to this promising
practice?
If No:
d) Please describe why you chose not to implement this practice at your tax
site(s) this year.
12. Promising Practice #6: Provide multiple options for saving.
a) Did your tax site help taxpayers open new savings accounts for the purposes of
saving? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: Yes/No)
•

If Yes: Who was responsible for opening these accounts? (RESPONSE
OPTIONS: Tax site staff/Financial institution staff working at your tax
site/Financial institution working offsite/Other (specify))

b) Did your tax site help taxpayers open new prepaid debit card accounts for the
purposes of saving? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: Yes/No)
c) Did your tax site offer taxpayers the opportunity to save some or all of their
refunds using IRS Form 8888 1? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: Yes/No)
d) Did your tax site offer taxpayers the opportunity to save some or all of their
refunds by purchasing a savings bond? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: Yes/No)
IRS Form 8888 is designed to allow direct deposit of a tax refund (or part of it) to one or more accounts at
a bank or other financial institution (such as a mutual fund, brokerage firm, or credit union) in the United
States. This form can also be used to buy up to $5,000 in paper series I savings bonds with a tax refund /
https://www.irs.gov/uac/about-form-8888.
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e) If Yes to at least two of (a) through (e): On a scale of 1 (least effective) to 5 (most
effective), how effective did you find offering multiple options for saving to be in
encouraging taxpayers to save all or some of their refunds? (RESPONSE OPTIONS:
1 to 5 or don’t know)
•
f)

If 1 or 2: Why don’t you think this practice was effective? How
could it be made more effective?

Do you believe that Tax Time Savings Bonds are a good savings vehicle for the
taxpayers you serve? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: Yes/No/Don’t know)

• Please explain your answer to the question above.
13. Promising Practice #7: Make savings fun.
a) Is this something you tried to do at your tax site(s) this year? (RESPONSE
OPTIONS: Yes/No/Unsure)
If Yes:
a) On a scale of 1 (least effective) to 5 (most effective), how effective did you find
this promising practice to be in encouraging taxpayers to save all or some of
their refunds? (RESPONSE OPTIONS: 1 to 5 or don’t know)
•

If 1 or 2: Why don’t you think this practice was effective? How
could it be made more effective?

b) Please describe how you tried to make savings fun at your tax site(s).
c) What advice do you have for other tax sites related to this promising
practice?
If No:
d) Please describe why you chose not to implement this practice at your tax
site(s) this year.
14. What are the biggest challenges you face at your site related to encouraging tax time
savings? How have you been able to address those challenges?
15. Do you have any other advice for other tax sites that are trying to encourage tax time
savings?
16. What else, if anything, could the CFPB do to support your site’s efforts to promote
savings at tax time in future years?
17. Is there any other feedback you have for the CFPB about its (year) Tax Time Savings
Initiative?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS SURVEY!

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