CBC: What new Canadians should know about the tax system
- Details
- Category: Financial Literacy and Free Tax Prep
- Published on 30 April 2012
When Tahir Mazari arrived in Canada in 1999 from Afghanistan, filing his taxes for the first time was a challenging task. "At the beginning it was difficult for me [knowing] what to do, but some of my friends helped me," he said. "We [didn’t have] that system in our country. It was very new to us."
Mazari now volunteers in Ottawa at ACORN Canada to help new Canadians with their taxes come tax time.
"Usually they come to file their taxes, but they are not familiar with the documents," he said.
Canadians who have lived in the country all their lives struggle every year to file their taxes, but new immigrants not familiar with the system may face even greater challenges.
Free Tax Prep Program Ensures Hard Earned Money Returned to Communities
- Details
- Category: Financial Literacy and Free Tax Prep
- Published on 13 March 2012
ACORN Canada's office in New Westminster has become a hub of action for the 6th year in a row as we kick off our full time Free Income Tax Preparation Clinic.
It's a packed house on a daily basis, which has helped us to complete over 500 returns in February alone! In partnership with Van City Credit Union, ACORN Canada has volunteers waiting to do simple tax returns and help people save and redeem their hard earned money and credits.
Since 2007 ACORN Canada has filed over 6000 returns for people in New Westminster, Surrey, Burnaby and beyond out of our office in New Westminster. That’s over $7 Million in tax returns, credits and benefits going back to communities where our members live, and over half a million dollars in direct tax prep cost savings, avoiding the high interest costs associated with corporate tax preparers.
CBC: Tax clinic flooded with calls for advice
- Details
- Category: Financial Literacy and Free Tax Prep
- Published on 06 March 2012
A free tax clinic for low-income earners says it is being flooded with about 40 calls a day from people seeking help with their taxes.
The advocacy group ACORN Canada says it books as many appointments as it can to provide tax advice. It offers the free clinics in cities across the country.
Ottawa resident Phyllis Andrews said Monday she remembers the first time she read a tax return.
It was 12 years ago, and she had just moved to Canada from the Caribbean.
"I was confused because I'd never done taxes and the questions on the paper, I didn't know what I was doing," Andrews said.
A few years ago, she sought help from the free tax clinic run by ACORN, and that was the first time she found out she was eligible for tax breaks.
In fact, a study by local statistician Richard Shillington found that five per cent of eligible families are not receiving their child tax benefit, and that's worth about $1,200 a year.
Ottawa EMC: ACORN launches free tax clinic, goal is poverty reduction
- Details
- Category: Financial Literacy and Free Tax Prep
- Published on 23 February 2012
EMC news - A free tax return clinic will be available once again this year for low and moderate income individuals and new immigrants in Ottawa starting on Feb. 28.
Getting ready for the influx of calls to the office of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) on Montreal Road, members announced their free tax clinics on Feb. 16.
ACORN Ottawa members and fellow tax clinic users, Kathleen Fortin and Dave Thomasson are grateful for the clinics and want everyone who needs aid with their tax returns to know ACORN is there to help.
SAVES MONEY
"This is all about poverty reduction and helping put more money into people's pockets," Fortin said. "It is an excellent service that saves people a lot of money."
Volunteer tax program co-ordinator, Keisha Lim, encourages people to call a book an appointment.
"It could take up to three days for us to call you back, but we will," Lim said.
Completely volunteer-driven, the free clinics started in 2009 and ACORN reports they have helped more than 1,800 people file their tax returns in the past four years.
Helping Families Save for Their Children's Education
- Details
- Category: Financial Literacy and Free Tax Prep
- Published on 20 October 2011
Across the country, hundreds of thousands of families that should be receiving money for education savings through the Canada Learning Bond aren't getting what they deserve because of barriers to participation. Over the last year, ACORN Canada members and staff have contacted 6400 people with information about what the CLB is, and how to apply. We've worked in our communities, and with banks and credit unions, to reduce barriers to participation. Because of this work, hundreds of thousands of dollars will flow to low and moderate income communities to help pay for post-secondary education. Beyond what's happened already, an overwhelming majority of the people we talked to are continuing to spread information about education savings to their friends, family, and neighbours.
Contact your local ACORN office if you have any questions.
