India Rainbow Community Services of Peel, Brampton, ON
February 23, 2015
Check against delivery
Good morning.
It's a pleasure to be here today.
Thank you to the staff and volunteers of the India Rainbow Community Services of Peel for hosting us today.
Let me just say how proud I am of our Community Volunteer Income Tax Program - now in its 44th year of operation. And this organization is celebrating its 30th year of involvement with the CVITP. What a successful partnership!
The annual collaboration between the Canada Revenue Agency and more than 2,000 community organizations like this one makes it possible to reach out and deliver an important service to people who need it most.
The objective of the CVITP is to help eligible taxpayers who need assistance to complete and file their income tax and benefit returns, and who have a modest income and a simple tax situation.
Program beneficiaries include social assistance recipients, seniors, students, Aboriginal peoples, newcomers to Canada, and persons with a disability.
The CRA provides training, tax software, and access to a network of CVITP coordinators to guide the community organizations that deliver the program across the country.
And these organizations host free tax preparation clinics and provide the people power - collectively assembling a nationwide army of volunteers over 16,000 strong. Those volunteers donate their time and energy to prepare income tax and benefit returns for eligible taxpayers.
Last year alone, CVITP volunteers like you helped over 600,000 Canadians file their returns. That's an inspiring demonstration of generosity and community spirit!
The valuable service you provide allows these filers to understand and meet their tax obligations. It also helps them take advantage of our Government's tax relief measures, such as the Family Tax Cut, Public Transit Tax Credit, Tradespersons' Tools Deduction, Pension Income Splitting, and more.
Thanks to your hard work and dedication, they pay only the taxes they owe, and they don't miss out on the credits and benefits they are entitled to. By helping them file on time, you also make sure they maintain uninterrupted access to their benefits and entitlements.
You can be proud, knowing the hours you invest as a CVITP volunteer make a real difference in the lives of many people in your communities.
The Government of Canada believes strongly in the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program. That's why we are investing an additional $1 million annually so that organizations like India Rainbow Community Services of Peel and you—their volunteers—have the support you need to continue to deliver the program successfully.
These new funds allow us to expand the use of technology in the program and provide additional support via a 1-800 service dedicated to CVITP volunteers.
As you know, the CVITP has evolved since 1971 from a manual paper-based program to electronic preparation and transmission of returns.
It used to take weeks for returns to be processed and refunds to be issued. Now, online filing and direct deposit options mean that the people you help today may receive their refunds in as little as eight days.
We also have many online services which help Canadians manage their taxes. In fact, we have just released MyCRA - a free mobile app for individuals.
Among other features, the new app provides access to the list of CVITP clinics available across Canada. We will continue to make important information like this available at Canadians' fingertips.
We're also increasing our promotional efforts to better reach the people who can benefit from the CVITP or assist in its delivery. The CRA has developed two promotional videos, called "Lend a Hand" and "Need a Hand."
"Lend a Hand" focuses on recruitment to the program. Produced in English and French, it is aimed at community organizations and volunteers, letting them know how they can give back to their communities by assisting those who do not have the resources to file their returns. This video is available on the CRA website. The new "Need a Hand" video targets individuals who have a modest income and simple tax returns. These include youth and students, seniors, newcomers, and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people. The video describes the CVITP and its eligibility requirements, and it tells viewers how to find a clinic in their area.
In addition to English and French versions, the "Need a Hand" video is available in Arabic, Cantonese, Punjabi, and Cree. These languages were selected based on census data provided by Statistics Canada, as well as regional media relations experience with third languages. We'll get a chance to hear the Punjabi version in a few minutes.
Finally, our $1 million additional investment will improve the training we offer to community organizations and their volunteers.
For example, we are delivering extra training to community organizations who are partnering with the CRA for the first time. We want to build an even stronger network of free Community Volunteer Income Tax Program clinics across the country.
By taking part in this program, you are playing an important role in making Canada a better place for all Canadians.
Your gift of service helps us maintain one of the best tax systems in the world. A well-functioning and efficient tax and benefit administration supports our quality of life and contributes to the prosperity of our nation.
On behalf of the Government, and on behalf of the thousands of Canadians you've helped over the years, I thank you for your commitment to this program.
And I assure you that our Government's commitment is stronger than ever. We look forward to the next 30 years of partnership with the India Rainbow Community Services of Peel - and to developing our growing network of CVITP partners nationwide.
Thank you.