National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson announced today that the 2009 Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) grant application process is now open.

The LITC grant program is a federal program administered by the Taxpayer Advocate Service. The Taxpayer Advocate Service is an independent organization within the IRS whose employees assist taxpayers who are experiencing economic harm, who are seeking help in resolving tax problems that have not been resolved through normal channels or who believe that an IRS system or procedure is not working as it should.

Under the LITC grant program, the IRS awards matching grants of up to $100,000 per year to develop, expand or maintain low income taxpayer clinics. The program is in its tenth year and continues to expand. To date in 2008, the LITC Program Office has awarded LITC grants to 154 organizations in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam.