Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Grant Program; Availability of 2017 Grant Application Package

This document contains a notice that the IRS has made available the 2017 Grant Application Package and Guidelines (Publication 3319) for organizations interested in applying for a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) matching grant for the 2017 grant year, which runs from January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017. The application period runs May 2, 2016, through June 20, 2016. The IRS will award a total of up to $6,000,000 (unless otherwise provided by specific Congressional appropriation) to qualifying organizations, subject to the limitations of Internal Revenue Code section 7526. For fiscal year 2016, Congress appropriated a total of $12,000,000 in federal funds for LITC grants. See Public Law 114-113. A qualifying organization may receive a matching grant of up to $100,000 per year for up to a three-year project period. Qualifying organizations that provide representation to low income taxpayers involved in a tax controversy with the IRS and educate individuals for whom English is a second language (ESL) about their rights and responsibilities under the Internal Revenue Code are eligible for a grant. An LITC must provide services for free or for no more than a nominal fee. Examples of qualifying organizations include: (1) A clinical program at an accredited law, business or accounting school whose students represent low income taxpayers in tax controversies with the IRS, and (2) an organization exempt from tax under IRC Sec. 501(a) whose employees and volunteers represent low income taxpayers in tax controversies with the IRS. In determining whether to award a grant, the IRS will consider a variety of factors, including: (1) The number of taxpayers who will be assisted by the organization, including the number of ESL taxpayers in that geographic area; (2) the existence of other LITCs assisting the same population of low income and ESL taxpayers; (3) the quality of the program offered by the organization, including the qualifications of its administrators and qualified representatives, and its record, if any, in providing representation services to low income taxpayers; (4) the quality of the application, including the reasonableness of the proposed budget; (5) the organization's compliance with all federal tax obligations (filing and payment); (6) the organization's compliance with all federal nontax obligations (filing and payment); (7) whether debarment or suspension (31 CFR part 19) applies, or whether the organization is otherwise excluded from or ineligible for a federal award; and (8) alternative funding sources available to the organization, including amounts received from other grants and contributions, and the endowment and resources of the institution sponsoring the organization.