How to file your tax return this year: the resources available to help newcomers
With tax season in full swing, advocates warn there are barriers facing newcomers and low-income earners trying to navigate an 'overwhelming' tax system.
When Augustine Akande moved to Canada from Nigeria about two years ago, he went to the Norquay Tax Clinic in Downtown Winnipeg to get some help filing his return.
"They have always been helpful, I think is a wonderful job that they do," he said Wednesday at the clinic, where he returned to file his taxes again this year.
While his tax filing wasn't too stressful, he said he knows that may not be the case for other newcomers.
"I find that the tax system here is a little bit complex," he said. "For newcomers who are just trying to understand how to file the tax, I think this place makes it possible for them to just walk in and get their tax filed without having to bother their head too much about what's in it."
The Norquay Tax Clinic is hosted by Community Financial Counselling Services (CFCS) in Winnipeg. Organizers said it is one of the largest clinics in Canada.
"We're seeing easily between 100 and 125 individuals, households coming through in a day," said Morgan Marshall, the CFCS tax program coordinator.
It's one of several free tax clinics geared to help newcomers and modest-to-low-income earners in Winnipeg. The Canadian Revenue Agency has a list on its website of all the tax clinics across Manitoba, including several here in Winnipeg.
Marshall said these clinics are an important piece in helping remove barriers come tax time.
"It can also be an overwhelming system to try and navigate and figure out, you know, what documents do you need to pull together in order to actually file your taxes? And so the goal here is to try and minimize as many of those barriers as possible," she said.
The demand for the services is high. The Norquay Tax Clinic, which is a first-come-first-serve walk-in clinic, reached capacity by noon Wednesday.
Jenn Bogoch, who runs a free tax clinic with SEED Winnipeg, has also seen the demand.
"There's a huge need, and unfortunately we are not resourced sufficiently to be able to meet that need," she said, adding each week her tax clinic fills its appointment slots and has to turn away about 200 people.
She said the clinic helps Winnipeg's marginalized community make sure they get the benefits they are entitled to.
"Sometimes people don't realize – because their income is low or they might not even have any income – that they should still be filing a tax return," Bogoch said.
"Tax filing is incredibly important, not just to get your taxes filed, but because it's also the gateway to really important benefits, particularly for people living on a low income."
It's a similar need felt by hundreds of Ukrainian newcomers who have turned to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) in Manitoba to get their taxes done for the first time.
Ostap Scrypnyk, an advisor with UCC Manitoba, said they started their own tax clinic about two years ago.
"These documents aren't in Ukrainian, and so the newcomers were anxious to complete their tax declarations correctly," he told CTV News. "Last year we literally helped hundreds of people with their tax returns. And we're pretty busy this year as well."
The deadline to file your taxes this year is on April 30, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Millions of cyberattacks per hour as B.C. government investigates multiple breaches
Careful attention to government statements and legislation is required to get a handle on the level of risk British Columbians’ information is under, as investigators probe multiple breaches under a continued barrage of attacks.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
New 'Lord of the Rings' film coming in 2026
The Oscar-winning team behind the nearly US$6 billion blockbuster 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies is reuniting to produce two new films.