Internal Revenue Service - Information Release
IR-2020-43
Low income taxpayer clinics represented 19,513 taxpayers dealing with an IRS tax controversy; see the latest program report and the 2020 LITC grant recipient list   
February 26, 2020 
   
   
   
Media Relations Office
Washington, D.C.
www.IRS.gov/newsroom   
Media Contact: 202.317.4000   
Public Contact: 800.829.1040
   
 Low income taxpayer clinics represented 19,513    
 taxpayers dealing with an IRS tax controversy;    
 see the latest program report and the    
 2020 LITC grant recipient list    
   
IR-2020-43, February 26, 2020   
   
WASHINGTON -- The Internal Revenue Service's Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC)  Program Office has issued its annual program report (PDF). The report describes how LITCs provide representation, education, and advocacy for taxpayers who are low income or speak English as a second language (ESL).   
     
The LITC Program is a federal grant program administered by the Taxpayer Advocate Service, led by the Acting National Taxpayer Advocate, Bridget Roberts. LITCs represent individuals whose incomes are below a certain level and need to resolve tax problems with the IRS, such as audits, appeals, and tax collection disputes. They can represent taxpayers in court as well as within the IRS. They also can provide information about taxpayer rights and responsibilities in different languages for ESL taxpayers. LITCs provide services for free or a small fee. They receive IRS grants but work independently to assist and advocate for taxpayers.   
     
During 2018, LITCs represented 19,513 taxpayers dealing with an IRS tax controversy. They helped taxpayers secure more than $4.7 million in tax refunds and reduced taxpayers' liabilities by nearly $124 million. They also brought more than 4,200 taxpayers back into payment compliance.   
     
Through outreach and education activities, LITCs strived to ensure individuals understood their rights as U.S. taxpayers by conducting more than 1,700 educational activities that were attended by over 16,600 persons. More than 1,800 volunteers contributed to the success of LITCs by contributing nearly 57,000 hours of their time. More than two-thirds of the volunteers were attorneys, certified public accountants, or enrolled agents.   
     
LITCs used a variety of approaches to successfully advocate for taxpayers. These included utilizing collection alternatives to resolve issues administratively within the IRS litigating cases in the United States Tax Court and other federal courts, and elevating systemic issues through the Taxpayer Advocate Service's Systemic Advocacy Management System. Below is just one example of how an LITC assisted taxpayers in need:   
     
The taxpayers were a senior couple with no children. The husband had served in the military and was disabled during combat operations. He had a construction business, and together he and his wife invested large amounts of time and money into renovating their home into a bed and breakfast. After years of financial setbacks, the couple lost their home and long-time business, and incurred a large outstanding federal tax debt. The taxpayers filed for bankruptcy protection.   
     
At that time, they were living on a fixed income of Social Security and a small Veterans Administration pension in a subsidized senior apartment that they were told they could not live in if they had more than $10,000 in tax debt. The couple came to an LITC after they began receiving certified mail notices from the IRS about the federal tax debt. The LITC called the IRS to request a 60-day hold on collection while the taxpayers gathered documents for an Offer-In-Compromise (OIC). The couple then received a notice of intent to levy their Social Security benefits, and the LITC requested a Collection Due Process hearing, where it helped the couple settle its entire federal tax debt with an OIC for $1. The taxpayers returned a customer satisfaction survey to the LITC and acknowledged the work of the staff attorney by saying, "Wonderful you have such a smart, kind, and caring man on your staff. Thank you so much for everything."   
     
The full report (PDF)  contains extensive details about the LI TC Program and more extraordinary stories about the representation that LITCs provide. It also details the results that LITCs achieved on behalf of their clients.   
     
 2020 Grant Recipient List    
     
Through the LITC Program, the IRS awards matching grants of up to $100,000 per year to qualifying organizations. The Internal Revenue Service today announced $11.6 million in matching grants to 131 recipients across the country for development, expansion or continuation of LITCs for the 2020 grant year. IRS Publication 4134, Low Income Taxpayer Clinic List (PDF), provides information about LITCs by geographic area, including contact information and details about the languages, in addition to English, in which each LITC offers services. Publication 4134 is available at IRS.gov.   
     
The grant year began on Jan. 1 and ends on Dec. 31. The following is a list of the 131 organizations awarded a grant for the 2020 grant year:   
     
 2020 Low Income Taxpayer Clinics        
   
 Name of Organization      
 City      
 State      
 Award Amount      
Alaska Business Development Center LITC   
Anchorage   
AK   
$76,000   
Legal Services Alabama LITC   
Montgomery   
AL   
$100,000   
UA Little Rock Bowen School of Law LITC   
Little Rock   
AR   
$100,000   
Legal Aid of Arkansas LITC   
Springdale   
AR   
$64,000   
Community Legal Services LITC   
Phoenix   
AZ   
$95,000   
Southern Arizona Tax Clinic   
Tucson   
AZ   
$85,919   
Bet Tzedek Legal Services Tax Clinic   
Los Angeles   
CA   
$100,000   
KYCC Low Income Taxpayer Clinic   
Los Angeles   
CA   
$100,000   
Pepperdine LITC   
Los Angeles   
CA   
$85,000   
Bookstein Low Income Tax Clinic   
Los Angeles   
CA   
$95,000   
Chapman University Tax Law Clinic   
Orange   
CA   
$100,000   
Inland Counties Legal Services LITC   
Riverside   
CA   
$90,000   
Legal Aid Society of San Diego LITC   
San Diego   
CA   
$100,000   
University of San Diego LITC   
San Diego   
CA   
$100,000   
Chinese Newcomers Service Center   
San Francisco   
CA   
$97,966   
Justice and Diversity Center of the Bar Association of San Francisco   
San Francisco   
CA   
$100,000   
UC Hastings Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic   
San Francisco   
CA   
$90,000   
Cal Poly Low Income Taxpayer Clinic   
San Luis Obispo   
CA   
$100,000   
Community Legal Aid So Cal LITC   
Santa Ana   
CA   
$60,000   
Colorado Legal Services LITC   
Denver   
CO   
$57,955   
Denver Asset Building Coalition LITC   
Denver   
CO   
$50,000   
University of Denver LITC   
Denver   
CO   
$100,000   
Quinnipiac University School of Law LITC   
Hamden   
CT   
$100,000   
UConn Law School Tax Clinic   
Hartford   
CT   
$95,000   
The Catholic University of America LITC   
Washington   
DC   
$100,000   
The Janet R. Spragens Federal Tax Clinic   
Washington   
DC   
$100,000   
Delaware Community Reinvestment Action Council LITC   
Wilmington   
DE   
$100,000   
Florida Rural Legal Services Low Income Taxpayer Clinic   
Ft. Meyers   
FL   
$85,000   
Three Rivers Legal Services, Inc.   
Gainesville   
FL   
$65,000   
Legal Services of Greater Miami Community Tax Clinic   
Miami   
FL   
$100,000   
Bay Area Legal Services, Inc. LITC   
Plant City   
FL   
$90,000   
Legal Aid Services of Broward and Collier Counties   
Plantation   
FL   
$100,000   
Gulfcoast Legal Services LITC   
St. Petersburg   
FL   
$100,000   
Legal Services of North Florida   
Tallahassee   
FL   
$100,000   
Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County LITC   
West Palm Beach   
FL   
$90,000   
The Philip C. Cook Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic   
Atlanta   
GA   
$100,000   
JCvision and Associates, Inc.   
Hinesville   
GA   
$75,800   
North Georgia Low Income Taxpayer Clinic   
Lawrenceville   
GA   
$65,000   
Iowa Legal Aid LITC   
Des Moines   
IA   
$100,000   
University of Idaho College of Law LITC   
Boise   
ID   
$99,000   
La Posada Tax Clinic   
Twin Falls   
ID   
$100,000   
Ladder Up Tax Clinic   
Chicago   
IL   
$100,000   
Loyola Federal Income Tax Clinic   
Chicago   
IL   
$100,000   
Administer Justice   
Elgin   
IL   
$100,000   
Prairie State Legal Services LITC   
Wheaton   
IL   
$100,000   
Indiana Legal Services LITC   
Bloomington   
IN   
$100,000   
Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic   
Indianapolis   
IN   
$100,000   
Notre Dame Tax Clinic   
South Bend   
IN   
$95,000   
Kansas Legal Services, Inc. LITC   
Kansas City   
KS   
$49,000   
The Center for Great Neighborhoods LITC   
Covington   
KY   
$100,000   
Legal Aid Society Low Income Taxpayer Clinic   
Louisville   
KY   
$62,800   
AppalRed Low Income Taxpayer Clinic   
Richmond   
KY   
$90,000   
Southeast Louisiana Legal Services LITC   
New Orleans   
LA   
$100,000   
Greater Boston Legal Services   
Boston   
MA   
$95,000   
Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School LITC   
Jamaica Plain   
MA   
$100,000   
Springfield Partners for Community Action LITC   
Springfield   
MA   
$50,000   
Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service LITC   
Baltimore   
MD   
$100,000   
University of Baltimore LITC   
Baltimore   
MD   
$100,000   
University of Maryland Carey School of Law LITC   
Baltimore   
MD   
$74,000   
Pine Tree Legal Assistance, Inc. LITC   
Bangor   
ME   
$100,000   
University of Michigan LITC   
Ann Arbor   
MI   
$95,000   
Accounting Aid Society   
Detroit   
MI   
$100,000   
Alvin L. Storrs Low Income Taxpayer Clinic   
East Lansing   
MI   
$100,000   
West Michigan Low Income Taxpayer Clinic   
Grand Rapids   
MI   
$84,000   
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid Tax Law Project   
Minneapolis   
MN   
$88,000   
University of Minnesota LITC   
Minneapolis   
MN   
$100,000   
Kansas City Tax Clinic   
Kansas City   
MO   
$76,000   
Legal Aid of Western Missouri LITC   
Kansas City   
MO   
$100,000   
Washington University School of Law LITC   
St. Louis   
MO   
$96,000   
Mississippi Taxpayer Assistance Project   
Oxford   
MS   
$81,500   
Montana Legal Services Association LITC   
Helena   
MT   
$26,000   
North Carolina Low Income Taxpayer Clinic   
Charlotte   
NC   
$100,000   
NC Central University School of Law LITC   
Durham   
NC   
$100,000   
Legal Aid of Nebraska LITC   
Lincoln   
NE   
$50,625   
NH Pro Bono Low-Income Taxpayer Project   
Concord   
NH   
$85,000   
South Jersey Legal Services, Inc. LITC   
Camden   
NJ   
$70,000   
Legal Services of New Jersey Tax Legal Assistance Project   
Edison   
NJ   
$100,000   
Northeast New Jersey Legal Services LITC   
Jersey City   
NJ   
$100,000   
Rutgers Federal Tax Clinic   
Newark   
NJ   
$95,000   
NMLA Low Income Taxpayer Clinic   
Albuquerque   
NM   
$100,000   
Four Corners Low Income Taxpayer Clinic   
Farmington   
NM   
$94,000   
Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York LITC   
Albany   
NY   
$90,000   
Bronx Legal Services   
Bronx   
NY   
$80,000   
Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A LITC   
Brooklyn   
NY   
$95,000   
Brooklyn Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic   
Brooklyn   
NY   
$100,000   
Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project LITC   
Buffalo   
NY   
$90,000   
Hofstra Low Income Taxpayer Clinic   
Hempstead   
NY   
$21,000   
Queens Legal Services LITC   
Jamaica   
NY   
$90,000   
Fordham Law School   
New York   
NY   
$95,000   
Mobilization for Justice   
New York   
NY   
$80,000   
The Legal Aid Society LITC   
New York   
NY   
$100,000   
Migration Resources Center LITC   
Staten Island   
NY   
$50,000   
Syracuse University College of Law LITC   
Syracuse   
NY   
$100,000   
Community Legal Aid Services LITC   
Akron   
OH   
$80,000   
Legal Aid of Greater Cincinnati LITC   
CINCINNATI   
OH   
$85,000   
The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland LITC   
Cleveland   
OH   
$95,000   
Southeastern Ohio Legal Services for the public   
Columbus   
OH   
$90,000   
The Legal Aid Society of Columbus LITC   
Columbus   
OH   
$100,000   
Legal Aid of Western Ohio LITC   
Toledo   
OH   
$65,000   
Toledo Tax Controversy Clinic LITC   
Toledo   
OH   
$41,351   
Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma LITC   
Oklahoma City   
OK   
$63,000   
El Programa Hispano Catolico's LITC   
Gresham   
OR   
$90,000   
Legal Aid Services of Oregon LITC   
Portland   
OR   
$90,000   
Lewis & Clark Low Income Taxpayer Clinic   
Portland   
OR   
$100,000   
Philadelphia Legal Assistance LITC   
Philadelphia   
PA   
$100,000   
University of Pittsburgh School of Law LITC   
Pittsburgh   
PA   
$85,000   
Villanova Federal Tax Clinic   
Villanova   
PA   
$100,000   
Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services LITC   
Washington   
PA   
$60,000   
MidPenn Legal Services Low Income Taxpayer Clinic   
York   
PA   
$70,000   
Rhode Island Legal Services LITC   
Providence   
RI   
$100,000   
South Carolina Legal Services LITC   
Greenville   
SC   
$95,000   
University of South Dakota School of Law Federal tax Clinic   
Vermillion   
SD   
$90,000   
Memphis Area Legal Services   
Memphis   
TN   
$100,000   
Tennessee Taxpayer Project   
Oak Ridge   
TN   
$100,000   
Legal Aid of Northwest Texas LITC   
Fort Worth   
TX   
$100,000   
Texas A&M University School of Law Tax Clinic   
Fort Worth   
TX   
$85,000   
Houston Volunteer Lawyers LITC   
Houston   
TX   
$85,000   
Lone Star Legal Aid   
Houston   
TX   
$100,000   
South Texas College of Law LITC   
Houston   
TX   
$99,957   
Texas Tech School of Law LITC   
Lubbock   
TX   
$100,000   
Texas Taxpayer Assistance Project   
San Antonio   
TX   
$100,000   
Centro Hispano LITC   
Provo   
UT   
$100,000   
Legal Services of Northern Virginia LITC   
Fairfax   
VA   
$100,000   
Washington and Lee University School of Law Tax Clinic   
Lexington   
VA   
$80,000   
The Community Tax Law Project   
Richmond   
VA   
$100,000   
Vermont Low Income Taxpayer Clinic   
Burlington   
VT   
$75,000   
University of Washington Federal Tax Clinic   
Seattle   
WA   
$100,000   
Gonzaga University Federal Tax Clinic   
Spokane   
WA   
$95,000   
Legal Action of Wisconsin LITC   
Milwaukee   
WI   
$100,000   
The Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, Inc.   
Milwaukee   
WI   
$75,361   
Northwoods Tax Project   
Wausau   
WI   
$84,000