WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is accepting applications for the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) grant programs, which will allow some organizations to apply for annual funding for up to three years.

Applications will be accepted only through Grants.gov until May 31, 2013. Previous grant recipients will have the option to apply for up to three years of annual funding which would reduce the amount of paperwork they must complete over the three-year period. This annual funding will also help recipients with budget planning.

Application packages for TCE and VITA are available on Grants.gov. Interested organizations may obtain an electronic copy of the grant application package instructions, Publication 1101 for TCE and Publication 4671 for VITA on the IRS.gov website.

The TCE program was established in 1978 to provide tax counseling and return preparation to persons age 60 or older and to give training and technical assistance to the volunteers who provide free federal income tax assistance to seniors across the nation.

The VITA Grant program was established in 2007 to supplement the VITA program, which was created in 1969. VITA provides underserved communities with free federal income tax filing assistance. The grant program enables VITA to extend services to underserved populations in hard-to-reach urban and non-urban areas, to increase taxpayers’ ability to file returns electronically, to enhance training of volunteers and to improve the accuracy rate of returns prepared at VITA sites.

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service announced it is accepting applications for the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council (IRSAC). Applications will be accepted through June 14, 2013.

IRSAC’s purpose is to provide an organized public forum for IRS officials and representatives of the public to discuss relevant federal tax administration issues. IRSAC members submit a report to the IRS Commissioner annually at a public meeting in the fall.

IRSAC is comprised of up to 35 members, who are appointed to three-year terms by the Commissioner. Applications are currently being accepted for approximately 11 appointments that will begin in January 2014.

Nominations of qualified individuals may come from individuals or organizations. IRSAC members are drawn from substantially diverse backgrounds. Membership is balanced to include representation from the tax professional community, including but not limited to: tax attorneys, certified public accountants, enrolled agents, appraisers and the business community.

Federally registered lobbyists cannot be members of IRSAC.

Nominations should describe and document the proposed member’s qualification for IRSAC membership, including the applicant’s knowledge of Circular 230 regulations and the applicant’s past or current affiliations, as well as dealings with the particular tax segment or segments of the community that the applicant wishes to represent on the council.

More information, including application forms, are available on the Tax Professionals page on IRS.gov. Questions about the application process can be sent to the following e-mail address: publicliaison@irs.gov.