The IRS is accepting applications for Tax Counseling for the Elderly and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance grants through the end of the month.
These grants allow eligible organizations to receive annual funding for up to three years to provide free federal tax return preparation assistance.
In 2026, the IRS awarded TCE grantees $12 million and VITA grantees $41 million.
“Tax Counseling for the Elderly and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance programs provide invaluable, free assistance to taxpayers in need,” IRS CEO Frank Bisignano said in a statement on May 1. “The VITA program, which has been around for more than 50 years, provides help to America’s underserved populations, while the TCE program offers specialized assistance for older Americans related to pensions and retirement plans.”
Applications will be accepted on Grants.gov through May 31 for both programs.
Organizations can visit IRS VITA and TCE grants for grant application and program information.
In 2026, VITA and TCE volunteers filed more than 2.8 million tax returns at more than 9,000 VITA/TCE sites. These efforts resulted in over $3.37 billion in refunds, the IRS said.
“This filing season, thousands of VITA and TCE volunteers demonstrated their commitment to serving taxpayers who needed support the most,” Bisignano said in a statement on April 24 during National Volunteer Week. “Volunteers assisted members of the military, those in rural communities, senior citizens, and many more. Their dedication furthers the IRS’s mission and reminds us that serving others creates a lasting impact, not just during National Volunteer Week, but throughout the year.”
The IRS established the TCE program in 1978 to provide tax counseling and return preparation primarily for individuals 60 years of age and older. The IRS also provides training and technical assistance to support these services nationwide.
The VITA grant program was established in 2007 to supplement the VITA program created in 1969. The grant program enables VITA to provide free tax-fling services to underserved populations in the hardest-to-reach urban and non-urban areas to increase the ability of targeted taxpayers to file returns electronically, to enhance training of volunteers, and to improve the accuracy rate of returns prepared at VITA sites, the IRS said.
Photo credit: mphillips007/iStock
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