£11 Million for Charities and Community Organisations Supporting Vulnerable Taxpayers — HMRC VCS Grant Funding 2027–30
HMRC has launched its 2027–30 Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) grant funding programme, with £11 million available (£3.7 million per year) for organisations that help people who need extra support with their tax affairs. Grants range from £40,000 to £1 million per year, and applications close 3 July 2026.
About the HMRC VCS Grant Funding Programme
HMRC has worked with the voluntary and community sector for over 20 years to deliver support to the customers it finds hardest to reach. The aim is to help these customers move back into mainstream HMRC channels by building their capability and confidence, and by resolving issues — such as outstanding tax debts or obligations — that have become a barrier to engaging with HMRC directly.
In the first two years of the previous 2024–27 programme, funded organisations supported over 85,000 customers. The new programme runs from April 2027 to March 2030 and supports the commitments set out in HMRC’s Transformation Roadmap.
How Much Funding Is Available
HMRC has secured £11 million in total funding (£3.7 million per year) for the three-year programme. Organisations can bid for between £40,000 and £1 million per year.
Funding is capped at a maximum of 50% of your organisation’s turnover, based on your last audited accounts.
What the Programme Supports
HMRC wants organisations to provide free, independent, multi-channel tax and tax-related support to customers who need extra help, enabling them to become long-term self-sufficient.
Bids must cover two of the following three activities:
- Simple enquiries — support that can be resolved at the first point of contact or with limited adviser assistance, such as general advice or signposting to HMRC guidance (for example PAYE, Child Benefit, Self-Assessment, and compliance checks).
- Complex enquiries — support requiring more than one interaction or substantial adviser assistance, whether because of a complex tax issue, multiple issues, or because the customer has complex extra support needs.
- Digital services support — helping customers use HMRC’s digital services, such as the HMRC App, Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax, the Personal Tax Account, and the Business Tax Account.
Support can be delivered face-to-face, by telephone, Teams or web chat, or through webinars, outreach and workshops — as long as there is confirmed interaction with the customer.
Who the Programme Helps
Funded organisations must support unrepresented HMRC customers who need extra help, including (but not limited to) those with reduced mobility or physical disabilities, sensory disabilities, low digital capability or confidence, age-related difficulties, neurodiverse needs, mental health conditions, or language barriers. It also covers customers in extreme distress through life events such as bereavement, relationship breakdown, or safeguarding concerns, and those HMRC finds hardest to reach, such as prisoners and people on probation.
In this context, a customer is “represented” only if they have a paid intermediary, such as a tax agent, acting on their behalf — it does not include unpaid family or friends.
HMRC wants accessible services across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, whether through UK-wide coverage or community outreach in deprived or remote areas.
Who Is Eligible
To apply, your organisation must be one of the following: a registered charity, a voluntary and community sector organisation, a social enterprise, a mutual, or a co-operative.
Your organisation must also have:
- three years’ financial history in place
- a turnover of no less than £80,000 per year
- sound and comprehensive financial systems to track funding and demonstrate it has been allocated to the activity in your bid
Organisations are not eligible if they have any directors disqualified in the last five years, or any director, trustee, treasurer or other person in a position of financial responsibility with a conviction such as fraud within the last five years. The grant cannot be used to support or promote religious activity, or for any activity that is party political in intention, use or presentation.
You must also be able to identify customers with HMRC-related issues, provide performance data throughout the programme, help source customers and staff for HMRC research requests, and attend HMRC’s quarterly Individual Stakeholder Forum (ISF).
How to Apply
Applications are submitted through the Find a Grant system. HMRC is hosting live Q&A sessions with interested applicants on 11 and 17 June 2026.
If you have questions about the application process, you can email HMRC’s Voluntary & Community Sector team at voluntaryandcommunitysectorgrantfunding@hmrc.gov.uk.
AI can be used as a tool to support your application, but applicants are responsible for ensuring all content is accurate and compliant. There is an AI usage question within the application.
Funding Timeline
- Application window: opens 8 June 2026 (12:01am), closes 3 July 2026 (11:59pm)
- Live Q&A sessions: 11 and 17 June 2026
- Evaluations: July and August 2026
- Notifications to applicants: by the end of October 2026
- Grant agreements in place / programme commences: 1 April 2027
