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 The Nonresident Tax Help Group $134,269 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 underserved populations in Minnesota through September 30, 2026.

The Nonresident Tax Help Group, a tax-exempt nonprofit headquartered in Woodbury, Minnesota, expands volunteer training, strengthens quality control measures, and increases electronic return filing capacity. 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, achieve 100 percent of return production goals, and demonstrate incremental improvements in return preparation efficiency year over year. Intended beneficiaries include low- to moderate-income taxpayers, persons with disabilities, individuals with limited English proficiency, Native Americans, rural residents, military members and families, and elderly taxpayers.

The VITA grant program funds matching grants to support community volunteer income tax assistance. Grant recipients extend services to underserved populations in both urban and non-urban areas, heighten quality control, enhance volunteer training, and improve return preparation accuracy. Sub-recipients may be utilized by grant recipients to deliver key program elements while adhering to established VITA program requirements and maintaining Generally Accepted Accounting Principles-compliant record-keeping systems.

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.