Eligible organizations can now submit applications for the Internal Revenue Service's Tax Counseling for the Elderly and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance grant programs, allowing some organizations to apply for up to three years of annual funding.

Organizations can apply on Grants.gov through June 4, 2021, and can find application packages and guidelines on IRS.gov. In 2021, the IRS awarded 31 TCE grantees $11 million and 297 VITA grantees $25 million. The two programs prepare millions of tax returns each year.

The IRS established the TCE program in 1978 to provide tax counseling and return preparation to persons age 60 or older and to give training and technical assistance to the volunteers who provide free federal income tax assistance within elderly communities across the nation. For more information visit the TCE webpage on IRS.gov.

The IRS created the VITA program in 1969. In 2007, the IRS established the VITA Grant program to supplement VITA partners' efforts. VITA provides free tax filing assistance to underserved communities. The grant program enables VITA to extend services to underserved populations in the hardest-to-reach urban and non-urban areas, to increase the capacity of targeted taxpayers to file returns electronically, to enhance training of volunteers and to improve the accuracy rate of returns prepared at VITA sites. For more information visit the VITA webpage on IRS.gov.

More Information:

• Applying for a TCE grant
• Publication 1101, Application Package and Guidelines for Managing a TCE Program  [PDF]
• Applying for a VITA grant
• Publication 4671, VITA Grant Program Overview and Application Instructions  [PDF]