IR-2023-191, Oct. 16, 2023
WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service recently awarded $51 million in TaxCounseling for the Elderly (TCE) and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) grantsto organizations that provide free federal tax return preparation.
This year, the IRS awarded grants to 45 TCE and 300 VITA applicants. The IRSreceived 429 applications requesting over $170 million in funding.
“As a part of the transformation of IRS, connecting with communities and providingresources through partnerships is part of our effort to ensure fair and equitableadministration of taxes and provide valuable credits to those in need,” said KenCorbin, the IRS Wage and Investment commissioner. “Grants ensure that thesepartners have access and are available.”
The TCE program, established in 1978, provides free tax counseling and federalreturn preparation to individuals who are age 60 or older. Volunteers receive trainingand technical assistance to provide assistance at community locations across thenation.
The VITA program, created in 1969, assists underserved communities, such as low-and moderate-income individuals and limited English proficient taxpayers. VITA grantrecipients provide free federal tax return preparation and electronic filing. The grantprogram helps to expand VITA services to underserved populations.
The IRS forms partnerships with a wide variety of organizations across the country todevelop VITA and TCE programs. Community partners include non-profit agencies,faith-based organizations, community centers and large employers. The IRS provides tax law training, certification and oversight to these organizations assisting theirefforts to prepare accurate returns.
“VITA and TCE grant recipients work hard to improve the taxpayer experience in theirown backyards,” said Maryann Enciso, acting national director for StakeholderPartnerships, Education and Communication. “We are pleased to award these grantsto our dedicated partners who provide quality tax preparation and financial educationand asset building in their local communities. VITA/TCE is a ’cause not a program’ tohelp American taxpayers.”
This information has been extracted from the IRS Newswire sent to D&E email and is shared for the purpose of informing our clients. If you want more information, go to the official website of the Internal Revenue Service: https://www.irs.gov – Oct. 16, 2023