The Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service awarded Empire Justice Center $175,000 under the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Matching Grant Program (CFDA 21.009) on October 1, 2025, for free tax return preparation services.
Empire Justice Center, a Rochester, New York-based nonprofit legal services organization, received the award to expand volunteer capacity for electronic tax return filing, enhance volunteer training, and improve quality control at VITA sites. The grant supports service delivery to low-to-moderate-income taxpayers, persons with disabilities, non-native English speakers, Native Americans, rural residents, military families, and elderly populations. Work is performed in New York. The period of performance runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026.
The VITA Matching Grant Program provides financial support to organizations serving underserved and hard-to-reach populations with free tax assistance. Recipients must ensure at least 90 percent of returns prepared serve individuals whose income equals or does not exceed the maximum earned income tax credit threshold, file all eligible returns electronically, achieve 100 percent of return production goals, and demonstrate incremental increases in return preparation annually. Matching funds are required and must be documented. Sub-recipients may be utilized to help deliver key program elements and must adhere to grant program guidelines.