Manchin, Capito Announce Funding For WVU College Of Law To Assist Low-Income Taxpayers

Washington, DC  – U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced a $100,000 grant from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for West Virginia University’s (WVU) College of Law as part of its selection for the 2021 Supplemental Application Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) program. The IRS’s LITC supplemental application expands coverage to states without a clinic, giving priority to qualified organizations in underrepresented geographic areas.

“Resolving tax issues with the IRS can often be a complicated and frustrating process for all of us. The Low Income Taxpayer Clinic at West Virginia University College of Law helps low-income or non-English speaking West Virginians resolve their tax issues with the IRS. With this investment, the WVU Law tax clinic will be able to expand their services to guide more West Virginians through audits, appeals and tax collection disputes before the IRS and in court. This is great news for hardworking West Virginia taxpayers, and I look forward to seeing the positive impacts of this program for our state,” Senator Manchin said.

“West Virginia’s taxpayers, regardless of their income status or the language they speak, benefit from services that provide tax education, assistance, and resources,” Senator Capito said. “This grant revives a critical service for our state’s underserved populations to assist them in filing their taxes and with disputes involving the IRS. WVU’s College of Law is an excellent choice for this program and it will be a win-win for both low-income taxpayers and the university.”

WVU College of Law operates an important tax controversy litigation clinic and will now be available to assist low-income and English as a second language (ESL) taxpayers located within West Virginia, a state that has not had an LITC-funded clinic for 2 1/2 years. WVU was awarded a grant for $100,000 with a period of performance of 18 months from July 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022. The LITC grant will allow the law school to expand the tax clinic and offer more tax assistance to students.

LITCs represent low-income taxpayers in federal tax disputes with the IRS and provide taxpayer education and outreach to both low income and ESL taxpayers. They must provide all services for no more than a nominal fee.

Through the LITC program, the IRS awards matching grants of up to $100,000 per year to qualifying organizations. The LITC program is a federal matching grant program administered by the Taxpayer Advocate Service, led by National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins. Although LITCs receive partial funding from the IRS, LITCs, their employees and volunteers operate independent of the IRS.