Tax help for a new bracket
Volunteers open clinic to moderate-income earners who might have trouble with computer tax-preparation programs, writes VITO PILIECI.
With income tax season officially open, an Ottawaarea lobby group is aiming to help low- and moderateincome Canadians file their returns.
For low earners, there’s no charge for the Ottawa Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now service, now in its fifth season.
New this year is a companion service for people making more than $30,000 annually. Clients must pay a modest fee based on their income, starting at $30.
ACORN’s services are among dozens of tax-assistance programs available throughout Ottawa.
Other offerings include free tax preparation services for senior citizens offered by the Senior Citizens Council of Ottawa and the Chinese E-business Association of Canada, and several free clinics offered by Canada Revenue Agency through its Community Volunteer Income Tax Program.
The Ottawa-centric services complement larger programs from national tax return programs such as TurboTax and UFile, which offer various free income tax preparation services for students and Canadians with simple returns that only require processing a T4 slip.
But the free, computer-based programs can be difficult for lower-income Canadians, says ACORN clinic organizer Bashma Osman.
Older Canadians, new Canadians and Canadians who speak English as a second language often find preparing their income taxes a real challenge.
“This is for people who don’t have computer access because they are low-income individuals. Some of them are a lot older too, so they are not sure how to use the computer or gain access to the software,” said Osman.
“We also see a lot of new immigrants. A lot of our clients are new immigrants, seniors and low-income people from across the board. It’s face to face and it’s easy; all you have to do is call a number and book an appointment.”
The ACORN tax clinic will run until May 11. To make an appointment, call 613-746-5999..
Last year, more than 786 people took advantage of the group’s free tax preparation services.
Since 2008, the service has filed more than 2720 returns on behalf of low-income residents in Ottawa. ACORN has seen more than $3.26 million in refunds returned to those people.