The volunteer income tax assistance (vita) grant was established as a matching grant program to provide funding for organizations who support community volunteer income tax assistance

The Internal Revenue Service awarded United Way Of Greater Stark County Inc. $140,061 on October 1, 2025, under the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Matching Grant Program (CFDA 21.009) to deliver free tax return preparation and electronic filing services to low-to-moderate-income populations in Ohio.

The organization operates VITA sites serving taxpayers with income at or below Earned Income Tax Credit thresholds, including persons with disabilities, English language learners, Native Americans, rural residents, military members and families, and elderly taxpayers. The grant funds activities to extend services to underserved and hard-to-reach urban and non-urban communities, increase capacity for electronic return filing, enhance volunteer training, improve quality control, and raise the accuracy of prepared returns.

Performance requirements include ensuring that at least 90 percent of returns prepared serve individuals within EITC income limits, filing all eligible returns electronically, achieving 100 percent of annual return production goals, and demonstrating year-over-year improvements in fund efficiency. The award period runs through September 30, 2026.

Activities

The vita grant program provides financial support to organizations who 1) extend services to underserved populations in hardest to reach areas both urban and non-urban; 2) increase the capacity to file returns electronically; 3) heighten quality control; 4) enhance training of volunteers; and 5) significantly improve the accuracy rate of returns prepared at vita sites. End goal/expected outcomes: vita grant recipients are expected to 1) follow existing guidance governing vita site operations; 2) ensure at least 90% of returns prepared are for individuals whose income is equal to or less than the maximum earned income tax credit (eitc) thresholds; 2) file all eligible returns electronically; 3) achieve 100% of their return production goals; 4) become more efficient with grant funds; and 5) show incremental increases in return preparation each year.

Intended beneficiaries

Taxpayers who are low to moderate income individuals, persons with disabilities, those for whom english is a second language, native americans, individuals living in rural areas, members of the armed forces and their families, and the elderly.

Subrecipient activities

Subrecipients may be utilized by grant recipients to help deliver key elements of the program and must adhere to grant program guidelines. Broadband: specific activities relating to broadband usage are not known at the time of award.