According to federal government personnel who keep track of the statistics which relate to the numbers of individuals and organizations, more than 30 million Canadians donate two billion hours of their volunteer time annually. Their goal is aimed at helping to improve the quality of life of private citizens and their various communities located throughout the nation.
Within thesouthern interior, according to a Canada Revenue spokesperson, within the past year close to 200 volunteers and over 70 community groups provided assistance to more than 10,000 adults who wished help in preparing and filing their income tax return documentation.
As has been the case annually over the past 14 years, a dedicated team of volunteer and non-compensated individuals located within the Nakusp region continue to do their part as well.
Included are those who have undertaken the mandatory training referred to as the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP), operating under the auspices of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
Not only seniors, but individuals of all ages who live on a low to moderate income tax are offered free and confidential assistance in making certain their simple and straightforward income tax returns (generally digitally based) are properly completed and filed with CRA by the deadline date which is generally set at April 30. Make certain that you are prepared to file your return in time in order to avoid any delays once the deadline date is confirmed by CRA.
Our local service is not in competition with commercial or other resources. Rather, the aim of each of the volunteers who are happy to help, wishes to stress that returns are required to be filed with CRA so that the various service and financial benefits which we are eligible to receive, are credited to us without interuption. In particular, it should be noted these benefits do not automatically arrive in your mailbox. They must be applied for and filing of one’s tax return as a means of validating one’s eligibility is an important part of the process.
Training, including updating of various benefits and allowances which one is entitled to, is currently underway. Note however, the actual job of providing assistance in completing and filing one’s documentation does not commence until closer to the end of February. The T-forms and other data, which once gathered in, is needed as proof of one’s eligibility and considered an important necessary step.
Details concerning the individual benefits which one may claim have not yet been issued by CRA, although the usual slips and accompanying data information will no doubt soon arrive and be made public. In the meantime, those who wish to receive free assistance through the CVITP volunteers, each of whom are fully trained and experienced, are asked to e-mail their request for forwarding to one of the available local team members at aquaconn@columbiacable.net.
