IRS Seeking Grant Applications for the Volunteer Tax Assistance Programs

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service today announced it is accepting applications for the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) grant programs.

Interested applicants can find TCE and VITA application packages on Grants.gov. All applications must be submitted through Grants.govby the June 1 deadline. Electronic versions of the grant application package instructions, Publication 1101 for TCE and Publication 4671for VITA, can be found on IRS.gov.

The TCE program was established in 1978 to provide tax counseling and return preparation to persons who are 60 or older. Volunteers who provide free federal income tax help to seniors nationwide receive free training and technical assistance.

The VITA program was created in 1969 to provide free federal income tax filing assistance to underserved communities. Congress first appropriated funds in 2007 to establish a matching grant program specifically for community volunteer income tax assistance and continues to fund this grant through its annual IRS appropriation.

The grant program helps extend VITA services to underserved populations in hard-to-reach urban and non-urban areas. It increases the ability of taxpayers to electronically file returns, and enhances volunteer training to improve the accuracy rate of returns prepared at VITA sites.