In the News

IRS Announces Tennessee Recipients of First-Ever Grants

TN-2008-129, Nov. 10, 2008

NASHVILLE — The Internal Revenue Service today announced first-ever matching grant awards to local Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs.

In Tennessee, grants were awarded to the following organizations:

• South Central Kingsport Weed & Seed – Kingsport – $9,385
• United Way of the Mid-South – Memphis – $56,200
• United Way of Middle Tennessee, Inc. – Nashville – $227,000

Awards of $8 million were made to 111 organizations that plan free tax preparation sites for 2009. The sites will be located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

“This new grant program can be used to expand free services to some of the thousands of Tennessee taxpayers served each year by these VITA sites and their volunteer tax preparers,” said IRS spokesman Dan Boone.

There was an overwhelming response to the new VITA grant with 379 VITA partners submitting applications requesting more than $30 million in matching funds.

VITA partners are organizations that provide free federal tax return preparation and electronic filing for low to moderate income individuals. For tax year 2008, individuals and families with an adjusted gross income of $49,000 or less are eligible for assistance.

The VITA program has enjoyed tremendous support in the years since its creation in 1969. Along with Tax Counseling for the Elderly, another volunteer return preparation program sponsored by IRS for older individuals, more than 3 million tax returns and economic stimulus payment requests were prepared and filed in 2008 at nearly 12,000 locations nationwide.

Questions regarding the grant program may be addressed to the Grant Program at 404.338.7894 (not a toll-free call) or by e-mail at Grant.Program.Office@irs.gov.

For more information about the VITA program go to the official IRS web site at IRS.gov and use the search term VITA.