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 South Texas $107,850 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- and moderate-income populations across Texas through September 30, 2026.

United Way of South Texas operates VITA sites delivering tax assistance to vulnerable populations including low-income individuals, persons with disabilities, non-native English speakers, Native Americans, rural residents, military families, and elderly taxpayers. The organization must ensure that at least 90 percent of prepared returns serve individuals whose earned income does not exceed Earned Income Tax Credit thresholds and must file all eligible returns electronically. Grant activities focus on expanding electronic return filing capacity, strengthening volunteer training and quality control, and improving tax return accuracy across underserved urban and non-urban communities in Texas.

This is the fifth consecutive annual VITA award to the recipient, spanning October 2021 through September 2026. The matching grant program supports organizations that extend services to hardest-to-reach populations, increase electronic filing capacity, heighten quality control, enhance volunteer training, and improve return preparation accuracy. Recipients must follow existing VITA site guidance, achieve 100 percent of return production goals, and demonstrate incremental increases in return preparation annually.

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.