Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Matching Grant
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- VITA-2027
- Agency
-
Department of the Treasury
- Applications due
- Award size
- $5,000 to $2,000,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Category
-
- Other
- Eligible applicants
-
- 501(c)(3) Nonprofits
- City/Township Governments
- State Governments
- County Governments
- Higher Education Inst. (Private)
- Tribal Organizations (Not Federally Recognized)
- Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
- Full announcement
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Internal Revenue Service seeks applicants for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Matching Grant Program to support free tax return preparation services for underserved and low- to moderate-income taxpayers, with applications due June 1, 2026.
Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits, private and public colleges and universities, city/township governments, county governments, state governments, federally recognized tribal governments, and non-federally recognized tribal organizations. All applicants must operate a VITA program serving populations at or below Earned Income Tax Credit income limits, with at least 90 percent of individuals served meeting this requirement. Eligible populations include low- to moderate-income individuals, persons with disabilities, the elderly, limited English speakers, Native Americans, rural residents, and military families.
The program requires 100 percent cost sharing—applicants must match all federal funds awarded in cash or allowable third-party in-kind contributions. Individual awards range from $5,000 to $2 million, with approximately $46 million available and approximately 300 expected awards. The period of performance runs October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027 (12 months). Services will be provided across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.
Multi-year awards may be issued for up to three years, with years two and three subject to satisfactory performance and availability of appropriations. Applications must be submitted exclusively through Grants.gov and include Standard Form 424, IRS VITA forms, a 55-page narrative, and civil rights compliance documentation. Technical evaluation criteria are weighted across seven categories: experience with low-income populations (0–64 points), program strength (0–50 points), VITA target audience focus (0–38 points), partnership capabilities (0–4 points), sustainability strategies (0–4 points), quality control processes (0–20 points), and program measures (0–20 points). Applications must score at least 140 of 200 points to advance to Grant Program Office evaluation. The Assistance Listing number is 21.009.
Synopsis
The IRS initiative known as the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) grant supports IRS VITA partner organizations operating a VITA program offering free tax preparation service for the underserved taxpayer. Partner organizations, operating a VITA program, help low- to moderate-income individuals, persons with disabilities, the elderly, limited English speakers, Native Americans and miliary file their taxes each year. The IRS awards a matching funds grant to support these partner organizations that offer free tax preparation services during the tax filing season at locations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia through their VITA program.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Publication 6086 VITA Grant Program NOFO.pdf | ||
| p4671--2026-04-00.pdf |
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