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 Suncoast, Inc. $174,000 under the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Matching Grant Program (CFDA 21.009) on October 1, 2025, for the period ending September 30, 2026.

United Way Suncoast delivers free tax return preparation and electronic filing services to low- to moderate-income populations throughout Florida, with particular focus on underserved and hard-to-reach communities including persons with disabilities, individuals with limited English proficiency, Native Americans, rural residents, military members and their families, and elderly taxpayers. The recipient must ensure at least 90 percent of returns prepared serve individuals whose earned income does not exceed Earned Income Tax Credit thresholds, file all eligible returns electronically, and meet annual return production targets while demonstrating year-over-year incremental increases in return preparation volume.

Grant funding supports capacity-building initiatives including expansion of electronic return filing capability, volunteer tax preparer training, quality control enhancement, and improvement of return preparation accuracy. United Way Suncoast may utilize subrecipients to deliver program elements while maintaining compliance with VITA grant program guidelines. This is the fifth consecutive annual VITA grant award to the recipient, with prior matching grants issued in fiscal years 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021.

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.