The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has started accepting applications for its Tax Counselling for the Elderly (TCE) and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) grant schemes.
Both programmes provide funding to organisations that deliver free help with federal tax return preparation.
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Successful applicants can receive annual grants for up to three years.
In 2026, the IRS allocated $12m for TCE recipients and $41m for VITA grant holders.
IRS CEO Frank Bisignano said: “Tax Counseling for the Elderly and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance programmes provide invaluable, free assistance to taxpayers in need.
“The VITA programme, which has been around for more than 50 years, provides help to America’s underserved populations, while the TCE programme offers specialised assistance for older Americans related to pensions and retirement plans.”
Applications for both grant programmes will be accepted on Grants.gov from 1 May 2026 to 31 May 2026.
The TCE initiative was created in 1978 to support tax advice and return preparation mainly for people aged 60 and above.
Alongside funding, the IRS offers training and technical support to deliver support services across the US.
The VITA grant programme was introduced in 2007 to reinforce the original VITA effort launched in 1969.
The grants are intended to broaden free tax assistance in underserved urban and non-urban communities, expand electronic filing, strengthen volunteer training, and support higher accuracy in returns prepared at VITA locations.
Last month, IRS unveiled a new mechanism allowing some taxpayers to seek extra time after their Employee Retention Credit claims are turned down.
