IRS Now Accepting Applications For Tax Counseling For The Elderly And Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

IRS announced on May 23 that it is now accepting applications for the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) grant programs. (IR-2011-56) The application deadline is June 30. “Previous grant recipients will have the option to apply for up to three years of annual funding which would reduce the amount of paperwork they must complete over the three-year period,” IRS said. In 2011, IRS awarded $6.1 million to 31 TCE grantees and $12 million to 179 VITA grantees. Through April 10, the two grant programs filed more than 2 million returns at almost 9,000 sites. As described by IRS, the TCE program provides free tax counseling and return preparation to persons age 60 or older. It also gives training and technical assistance to its volunteers. VITA provides services to underserved populations in hard-to-reach urban and non-urban areas. Additional information, including application forms, can be found at http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=184243,00.html.