SPEC Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Grant Program

This funding allows the Stakeholder Partnerships, Education and Communication (SPEC) organization within the IRS to provide grants to partner organizations to achieve the following program objectives: Enable the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program to extend services to underserved populations in hardest-to-reach areas, both urban and non-urban; Increase the capacity to file returns electronically; Heighten quality control; Enhance training of volunteers; Improve significantly the accuracy rate of returns prepared at VITA sites.  VITA Program offers free tax help for low to moderate income individuals (defined by the earned income tax credit (EITC) threshold), persons with disabilities, persons with limited English proficiency, Native Americans, individuals living in rural areas, members of the Armed Forces and their spouses, and the elderly. The VITA Grant supplements the work already being done in the VITA Program by providing support to help organizations grow their existing programs for free federal tax return preparation. VITA programs that receive a VITA grant must primarily serve low- to moderate-income taxpayers. At least 90 percent of individuals served must not have an adjusted gross income (AGI) that exceeds the earned income tax credit (EITC) guidelines. VITA grantees may provide tax preparation assistance to some taxpayers with income in excess of this annual AGI limitation without jeopardizing their grantee status if the 90% requirement is met.