SEC. 2. RETURN PREPARATION PROGRAMS FOR LOW-IN-
COME TAXPAYERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 77 of the Internal Rev-
enue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting after section 
7526 the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 7526A. RETURN PREPARATION PROGRAMS FOR LOW- 
INCOME TAXPAYERS. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX 
ASSISTANCE MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM.—The Sec-
retary, through the Internal Revenue Service, shall estab-
lish a Community Volunteer Income Tax Assistance 
Matching Grant Program under which the Secretary may, 
subject to the availability of appropriated funds, make 
grants to provide matching funds for the development, ex-
pansion, or continuation of qualified return preparation 
programs assisting low-income taxpayers and members of 
underserved populations. 
‘‘(b) USE OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Qualified return prepara-
tion programs may use grants received under this 
section for— 
‘‘(A) ordinary and necessary costs associ-
ated with program operation in accordance with 
cost principles under the applicable Office of 
Management and Budget circular, including— 
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‘‘(i) wages or salaries of persons co-
ordinating the activities of the program, 
‘‘(ii) developing training materials, 
conducting training, and performing qual-
ity reviews of the returns prepared under 
the program, 
‘‘(iii) equipment purchases, and 
‘‘(iv) vehicle-related expenses associ-
ated with remote or rural tax preparation 
services, 
‘‘(B) outreach and educational activities 
described in subsection (c)(2)(B), and 
‘‘(C) services related to financial education 
and capability, asset development, and the es-
tablishment of savings accounts in connection 
with tax return preparation. 
‘‘(2) USE
OF
GRANTS
FOR
OVERHEAD
EX-
PENSES PROHIBITED.—No grant received under this 
section may be used for overhead expenses that are 
not directly related to a qualified return preparation 
program. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each applicant for a grant 
under this section shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and con-
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taining such information as the Secretary may rea-
sonably require. 
‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this 
section, the Secretary shall give priority to applica-
tions which demonstrate— 
‘‘(A) assistance to low-income taxpayers, 
with emphasis on outreach to, and services for, 
such taxpayers, 
‘‘(B) taxpayer outreach and educational 
activities relating to eligibility and availability 
of income supports available through the Inter-
nal Revenue Code of 1986, including the earned 
income tax credit, and 
‘‘(C) specific outreach and focus on one or 
more underserved populations. 
‘‘(3) AMOUNTS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.—In de-
termining matching grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall only take into account amounts pro-
vided by the qualified return preparation program 
for expenses described in subsection (b). 
‘‘(d) ACCURACY REVIEWS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish procedures for, and shall conduct, periodic site 
visits of qualified return preparation programs oper-
ating under a grant under this section— 
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‘‘(A) to ensure such programs are carrying 
out the purposes of this section, and 
‘‘(B) to determine the return preparation 
accuracy rate of the program. 
‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANT 
RECIPIENTS NOT MEETING MINIMUM STANDARDS.— 
In the case of any qualified return preparation pro-
gram which— 
‘‘(A) is awarded a grant under this section, 
and 
‘‘(B) is subsequently determined— 
‘‘(i) to have a less than 90 percent av-
erage accuracy rate for preparation of tax 
returns, or 
‘‘(ii) not to be otherwise carrying out 
the purposes of this section, 
such program shall not be eligible for any additional 
grants under this section unless such program pro-
vides sufficient documentation of corrective meas-
ures established to address any such deficiencies de-
termined. 
‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section— 
‘‘(1) QUALIFIED
RETURN
PREPARATION
PRO-
GRAM.—The term ‘qualified return preparation pro-
gram’ means any program— 
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‘‘(A) which provides assistance to individ-
uals, not less than 90 percent of whom are low- 
income taxpayers, in preparing and filing Fed-
eral income tax returns, 
‘‘(B) which is administered by a qualified 
entity, 
‘‘(C) in which all volunteers who assist in 
the preparation of Federal income tax returns 
meet the training requirements prescribed by 
the Secretary, and 
‘‘(D) which uses a quality review process 
which reviews 100 percent of all returns. 
‘‘(2) QUALIFIED ENTITY.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘qualified 
entity’ means any entity which— 
‘‘(i) is an eligible organization, 
‘‘(ii) is in compliance with Federal tax 
filing and payment requirements, 
‘‘(iii) is not debarred or suspended 
from Federal contracts, grants, or coopera-
tive agreements, and 
‘‘(iv) agrees to provide documentation 
to substantiate any matching funds pro-
vided pursuant to the grant program under 
this section. 
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‘‘(B) ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATION.—The term 
‘eligible organization’ means— 
‘‘(i) an institution of higher education 
which is described in section 102 (other 
than subsection (a)(1)(C) thereof) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1002), as in effect on the date of the en-
actment of this section, and which has not 
been disqualified from participating in a 
program under title IV of such Act, 
‘‘(ii) an organization described in sec-
tion 501(c) and exempt from tax under 
section 501(a), 
‘‘(iii) a local government agency, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(I) a county or municipal gov-
ernment agency, and 
‘‘(II) an Indian tribe, as defined 
in section 4(13) of the Native Amer-
ican Housing Assistance and Self-De-
termination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 
4103(13)), including any tribally des-
ignated housing entity (as defined in 
section 4(22) of such Act (25 U.S.C. 
4103(22))), tribal subsidiary, subdivi-
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sion, or other wholly owned tribal en-
tity, 
‘‘(iv) a local, State, regional, or na-
tional coalition (with one lead organization 
which meets the eligibility requirements of 
clause (i), (ii), or (iii) acting as the appli-
cant organization), or 
‘‘(v) in the case of a targeted popu-
lation or community with respect to which 
no organizations described in the preceding 
clauses are available— 
‘‘(I) a State government agency, 
or 
‘‘(II) an office providing Cooper-
ative Extension services (as estab-
lished at the land-grant colleges and 
universities under the Smith-Lever 
Act of May 8, 1914). 
‘‘(3) LOW-INCOME TAXPAYERS.—The term ‘low- 
income taxpayer’ means a taxpayer whose income 
for the taxable year does not exceed an amount 
equal to the completed phaseout amount under sec-
tion 32(b) for a married couple filing a joint return 
with 3 or more qualifying children, as determined in 
a revenue procedure or other published guidance. 
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‘‘(4) UNDERSERVED
POPULATION.—The term 
‘underserved population’ includes populations of per-
sons with disabilities, persons with limited English 
proficiency, Native Americans, individuals living in 
rural areas, members of the Armed Forces and their 
spouses, and the elderly. 
‘‘(f) SPECIAL RULES AND LIMITATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) DURATION OF GRANTS.—Upon application 
of a qualified return preparation program, the Sec-
retary is authorized to award a multi-year grant not 
to exceed 3 years. 
‘‘(2) AGGREGATE
LIMITATION.—Unless other-
wise provided by specific appropriation, the Sec-
retary shall not allocate more than $30,000,000 per 
fiscal year (exclusive of costs of administering the 
program) to grants under this section. 
‘‘(g) PROMOTION AND REFERRAL.— 
‘‘(1) PROMOTION.—The Secretary shall pro-
mote tax preparation through qualified return prepa-
ration programs through the use of mass commu-
nications, referrals, and other means. 
‘‘(2) INTERNAL
REVENUE
SERVICE
REFER-
RALS.—The Secretary may refer taxpayers to quali-
fied return preparation programs receiving grants 
under this section. 
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‘‘(3) VITA GRANTEE REFERRAL.—Qualified re-
turn preparation programs receiving a grant under 
this section are encouraged to refer, as appropriate, 
to local or regional Low Income Taxpayer Clinics in-
dividuals who are eligible for such clinics.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
for chapter 77 is amended by inserting after the item re-
lating to section 7526 the following new item: 
‘‘7526A. Return preparation programs for low-income taxpayers.’’. 
Æ 
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