IRS Program Funds Special Tax Assistance to Low-Income Taxpayers

Over 150 organizations in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico received funding of up to $100,000 annually from the IRS. Taxpayer advocate Nina Olsen announced that total matching grants for Low Income Taxpayer Clinics totaled $8 million. The clinics are designed to provide low-income taxpayers with legal assistance in disputes and also to explain tax rights and responsibilities to taxpayers not yet comfortable with English.

While requiring a higher level of training than VITA, the Low Income Taxpayer Clinics sound like an excellent way for lawyers to meet state "pro bono" requirements and for socially-conscious business or law graduate students with CPAs to provide real service to people in need.