Smoky River Family and Community Support Services – In Focus
Georgia Dubois
Director Smoky River FCSS
Understanding your rights and responsibilities and the benefits of filing an income tax and benefit return is an important aspect of financial literacy. Did you know that there could be people in your community who are missing out on important tax credits and benefits that they may be entitled to because they are not filing and income tax and benefit return?
In 2015, country wide, over 2,000 organizations with 16,000 volunteers supported the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP). Together, they filed over 600,000 tax returns for people in their community.
Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) is collaboration between the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and community organizations. Smoky River Family and Community Support Services is one of those organizations. We host tax preparation clinics in Falher and McLennan to prepare income tax and benefit returns for eligible individuals who have modest income and simple tax situations.
Are you eligible? The following eligible family income levels are estimated for the 2015 tax year to be: Individual $30,000, Couple $40,000, One adult one child $35,000 and each additional child $2,500, investment income less than $1,000. We do not prepare returns for individuals who have selfemployment income of any kind, have business or rental income and expenses, have capital gains or losses, have employment expenses, filed for pre or post bankruptcy or deceased in the tax year.
This year the clinics are scheduled to start on March 30. Check out our Facebook page or contact the office for dates and locations, and will be on a first come first serve basis, please ensure to bring a piece of id and all of your tax notices to the clinic and your return will be completed while you are there.
We are unable to access any income reporting forms. Should you require previous year returns completed you will need to call the office at (780) 837-2220 to set up a specific appointment.