Low Income Taxpayer Clinic | TREAS GRANTS 052021 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for TREAS GRANTS 052021 001

The US Department of the Treasury, through its Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) program, offered a discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: TREAS GRANTS 052021 001; CFDA 21.008) to support organizations that help taxpayers who have limited incomes and taxpayers who speak English as a second language (ESL). The central purpose of the program is to expand access to tax justice by funding clinics that can step in when individuals cannot realistically afford professional help and may struggle to navigate the tax system on their own. In practical terms, the opportunity focuses on three connected types of work: direct representation in tax disputes, education to help taxpayers understand their rights and responsibilities, and advocacy to address recurring problems that affect low-income and ESL communities.

A major component of the grant is representation. Funded clinics typically assist eligible taxpayers in controversies with the Internal Revenue Service, which can include audits, appeals, collection actions, and other disputes where professional support can make the difference between a fair outcome and a damaging one. Representation work in this context often involves explaining notices, gathering records, communicating with the IRS on a client s behalf, negotiating payment arrangements where appropriate, and helping ensure that taxpayers are treated consistently with the law and their procedural rights.

The grant also emphasizes education and outreach, especially for ESL taxpayers who may face language barriers that make it difficult to understand IRS communications, comply with filing requirements, or respond appropriately to enforcement actions. Education efforts commonly include workshops, community presentations, written materials in accessible language, and targeted outreach designed to prevent problems before they escalate. For many communities, simply knowing how to respond to an IRS letter, how to request an interpreter, or where to seek help can prevent avoidable penalties, collection actions, or loss of benefits tied to tax compliance.

Advocacy is the third pillar of the opportunity. Beyond individual cases, clinics are encouraged to identify patterns that harm low income or ESL taxpayers and to elevate those issues through appropriate channels. This kind of advocacy can include reporting systemic barriers, recommending administrative improvements, and working with stakeholders to reduce recurring misunderstandings or procedural hurdles. The goal is not only to help one client at a time, but also to improve how the system functions for vulnerable populations.

Eligible applicants for this opportunity included public and state controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions that fall under the separate eligible category). The funding instrument was a grant, and the activity area was categorized under Law, Justice and Legal Services, reflecting the legal and rights based nature of the assistance being funded.

In terms of scale and timing, the opportunity listed an award ceiling of 100,000 per award and anticipated about 140 awards, indicating broad national distribution across many clinics rather than a small number of large projects. The opportunity was created on April 30, 2020, with an original closing date of June 16, 2020. Overall, the LITC grant opportunity is designed to strengthen the network of organizations that can protect taxpayer rights, reduce inequities caused by income or language barriers, and help ensure that low income and ESL taxpayers can participate in the tax system with meaningful access to assistance.

• The US Department of the Treasury, Low Income Taxpayer Clinic in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Low Income Taxpayer Clinic" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 21.008.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 30, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 16, 2020 No Explanation. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 140 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for TREAS GRANTS 052021 001

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