The Niagara West Adult Learning Centre (NWALC) in Beamsville proudly participates in the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) in partnership with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). This program offers free tax preparation for individuals experiencing lower incomes and other barriers to tax filing. For these individuals, tax filing is crucial to receiving government benefits including Old Age Security, Canada Child Benefit, GST/HST credit, and the Ontario Trillium Benefit.

Volunteers in the community who have experience filing taxes, can offer their services by registering as a volunteer through the Canada Revenue Agency at Become a Volunteer. Once volunteers have been approved by CRA, they are able to receive training on different tax situations, and enroll in webinars offered by CRA to stay abreast of any updates and changes.

This service is a valuable resource for many underserved individuals. In 2022, NWALC volunteers prepared over 100 returns for members of our community. We are gearing up for the coming tax filing season, which will run from February 28th to May 1 st, 2023. Our clinic will run on a drop-off and pick-up basis, with some in-person appointments being held both on-site and at partner organizations. In person clinic dates will be announced on our social media platforms, so be sure to check as the filing season gets closer!

At NWALC, we have also developed a one-on-one training program to teach interested individuals to prepare their own taxes online. This program teaches online safety, contacting Canada Revenue Agency, selecting approved tax software, tax basics, and hands on preparation of your own tax return. It offers learners the experience and confidence to file their own taxes.

Organizations all over Canada offer tax clinics through the CVITP, with some offering virtual filing options. To be sure that a tax clinic has been screened through CRA, or to find a tax clinic in your area, check the CRA website at Find a Tax Clinic near you. The CRA website is updated regularly as more organizations add their clinic information, so make sure you check back regularly.

Organizations interested in hosting a CVITP clinic can click here for more information.

To determine whether you are eligible for free income tax preparation, see About Free Tax Clinics – scroll down and click on “Eligibility Criteria” for details. If you are in the Beamsville and surrounding area, feel free to contact us at NWALC.

To learn more, contact:
Janet Oettgen – janet@nwalc.ca
Program Coordinator
Niagara West Adult Learning Centre