Home -> Filing Your Return -> Disabilities - > Free Tax Preparation Service

Free Tax Preparation Service - Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP)

Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) sponsors the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, which provides free help to complete income tax returns. This free service is available to people with a modest income and a simple tax situation, who are not able to prepare their own tax returns. Returns will not be prepared for deceased persons, bankrupt individuals, or for people with capital gains/losses, business income or rental income. These clinics can help low income people, who often miss out on benefits if their tax returns are not filed, or if they are filed incorrectly.

Below are the general eligibility criteria, but these may differ depending on the tax clinic. For more information see About free tax clinics on the CRA website.

For 2023 tax returns, modest income is considered to be approximately $35,000 for an individual and $45,000 for 2 people, plus $2,500 for each additional dependant.

Your tax situation is simple if you have no income, or if your sources of income are from the following:

	employment (as long as you have no employment expenses)
	pension
	benefits such as CPP, disability, CCB, EI, social assistance
	RRSP
	support payments
	scholarships, fellowships, bursaries or grants
	interest under $1,000

Your tax situation is not simple if you:

	are self-employed
	have employment expenses
	have business or rental income and expenses
	have interest income over $1,000
	have capital gains or losses
	have to file a T1135 for foreign property
	filed for bankruptcy in the tax year
	are completing a tax return for a deceased person

There are volunteer tax clinics in many communities. Most of them operate in March and April. For more information on this service, and a phone # to call for more information, see Need a hand with your taxes on the CRA web site.

Volunteer at a Free Tax Clinic

Tax return preparers are not the only volunteers needed at the free tax clinics. The clinics need volunteers to organize things, greet people as they arrive, and complete tax returns. Experience doing tax returns is helpful but is not required. Volunteers are given web-based training. See Register to Volunteer for more information.

Quebec Income Tax Assistance - Volunteer Program

This program provides assistance to people who are unable to complete their tax returns by themselves, and cannot afford the services of a professional. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, administrative regulations have been eased to allow volunteers to more easily get required authorizations from taxpayers and keep taxpayer information secure, with minimal physical contact. For more information visit Revenu Quebec Income Tax Assistance - Volunteer Program.

Another Easy Tax-Filing Option - SimpleFile by Phone

Another way to file your return if your situation is simple, is to use Canada Revenue Agency's SimpleFile by Phone service, filing by telephone.