Small Business Grants for Tax Counseling for the Elderly

The government offers a number of grants and cooperative agreements to nonprofit organizations and small enterprises from a number of its agencies. One such grant offers funds for nonprofit establishments to offer counseling to seniors to aid with completing their own yearly tax returns.

The Internal Revenue Service has designated $5.1 Million for the 2011 Budgetary Year to support the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (T.C.E.) Program

The Internal Revenue Service, which operates inside the Treasury Department is approved to initiate agreements with private or non-governmental public nonprofit 501c(3)’s that deliver instruction and technical guidance to volunteers who provide free of charge tax counseling and assistance to senior citizens who’re age sixty or older for the completion of their U.S. tax returns.

Grants can be applied to reimburse volunteers for incidental expenditures such as travel, meals as well as other expenses incurred by them in offering tax guidance help at places convenient for the older persons.

Through a competitive process, appropriate candidate groups and agencies compete for approval to become a T.C.E. sponsor. These organizations have to be a not for profit business expert in coordinating volunteer services, together with knowledge of the tax completion process.

Qualified businesses may obtain grants to provide regional Counseling Programs. Tax return submission help is furnished to senior-citizens throughout the traditional Federal Income tax submitting timeframe, which can be from the 1st of January through the 15th of April every year. Additionally the advising activities required to make sure that senior taxpayers get reliable tax help of the highest quality may be conducted throughout the year.

The Cooperative Agreement between the IRS and the nonprofit group defines the functions that the program sponsor and IRS will perform, the geographical region involved, the maximum amount of funding provided for reimbursement and administrative functions as well as other data.

Commencing with the 2011 Tax Counseling for the Elderly Plan, multi-year funding options are available for not for profit groups that are qualified and match the needed requirements.

Groups presenting an application can elect, if they are thinking about being considered for a multi-year Tax Counseling for the Elderly grant. Consideration is limited to those applicants that meet all eligibility requirements.

Acceptance from the Internal Revenue Service of an entity to the T.C.E. program for one year will not automatically imply the group is going to be approved into the T.C.E. system in following years.

A nonprofit group which is approved to provide Tax Counseling for the Elderly services is responsible for all aspects of operating a T.C.E. Program which includes, but not limited to marketing the program, volunteer recruitment and instruction, Web page design and construction and outreach to seniors in their region.

To look for additional information on Tax Counseling for the Elderly and other Government Grants and in particular grants for non profits visit the Top Government Grants Website.