IRS LITC Program Office Grant for Low-Income and ESL Taxpayer Services Expansion

In 2023, the IRS has expanded the eligibility criteria for a grant by removing the requirement for eligible organizations to provide direct controversy representation. Representation may be provided by referring taxpayers to qualified representatives who have agreed to handle the referred cases on a pro bono basis. In addition, pursuant to the ESL Education Pilot Program started in 2023 and continuing for 2024, a grant may be awarded to an organization to operate a program to inform ESL taxpayers about their rights and responsibilities under the IRC without the requirement to also provide tax controversy representation to low-income taxpayers.As a result of the Consolidated Appropriations Act,2023, the LITC Program Office is expanding the type of qualified services an organization can provide. Specifically, under this expansion, a qualified organization may receive a grant for the following activities of (1) referring low-income taxpayers in a controversy with the IRS to a qualified representative instead of providing controversy representation directly to those taxpayers; or (2) operating a pilot program to inform ESL taxpayers about their taxpayer rights and responsibilities without also providing controversy representation. Thus, a qualified organization is one that (1) ensures low-income taxpayers have access to representation (either by providing the representation directly or providing it indirectly with a referral to a qualified representative) in controversies with the IRS, or that (2) provides ESL taxpayers education about their taxpayer rights and responsibilities.