Minister of National Revenue announces more support for organizations that help improve access to benefits and credits
News release
October 14, 2022 Sherbrooke, Quebec Canada Revenue Agency
Whether it’s the Canada Child Benefit, the GST/HST credit, or the Climate Action Incentive, benefits and credits continue to be central to helping Canadians with the cost of living by making life more affordable.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is making it easier for individuals, especially from at-risk populations, to access these important benefits and credits by enhancing the funding available to Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) clinics. CVITP clinics are at the heart of the CRA’s efforts to ensure that Canadians are able to access the benefits and credits to which they are entitled.
The new formula for the CVITP Grant will increase the amount of money awarded to organizations through the grant each year, helping them cover the cost of hosting free tax clinics. The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue, made the announcement today at the Solutions Budget Plus tax clinic in Sherbrooke, Quebec, and it was echoed by Peter Fragiskatos, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue, during his visit to the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
Under the new formula, all organizations will receive $5 per tax return filed and $500 for basic expenses, instead of a variable amount determined by reported expenditures. There are also two new supplementary amounts of $250 each, for organizations that serve Northern and/or Indigenous communities. The changes will make it easier for small community organizations, which form over 50% of the CVITP, to get funding. It also recognizes the unique challenges of organizations that serve Northern and Indigenous communities.
Here’s how it works:
$500 for the basic needs of running a free tax clinic
+ $250 for organizations that serve Indigenous communities
+ $250 for organizations that serve Northern communities
+ $5 for each tax return filed
= total funding amount
The maximum funding available to each organization is capped at $30,000.
To ensure all eligible organizations have the opportunity to benefit from the changes announced today, the CRA will reopen the grant application period from October 14 to November 30, 2022. Organizations that have already applied for the CVITP Grant in 2022 do not need to reapply.
To learn more about the CVITP Grant program, visit canada.ca/free-tax-clinics-grant.
Quotes
“Community organizations that offer free tax clinics play an integral role in helping Canadians access the benefits and credits that are available to them. The enhancements to the CVITP Grant will allow organizations to spend less time on paperwork and more time helping those in need, especially in Indigenous and Northern communities. I encourage all organizations participating in the CVITP to apply for the grant when the application period reopens this fall.”
- The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue
Quick facts
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In 2021 the CRA committed more than 10 million dollars over three years towards a pilot offering grants to community organizations participating in the CVITP or the Income Tax Assistance – Volunteer Program (ITAVP) in Quebec.
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The CRA works closely with Revenu Québec, which provides a separate grant for Quebec organizations to offset the cost of completing provincial income tax returns.
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In the first year of the grant, the CRA provided 817 eligible organizations with $0.9M in grant funding. This year, the CRA has received 1,067 grant applications from eligible organizations and anticipates distributing over $2.4M in grant funding using the new formula.
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The CVITP Grant online application is open from May 1 to June 30 each year and organizations are invited to apply annually.
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So far in 2022, 3,380 community organizations and 14,530 volunteers have helped 625,130 people complete their income tax and benefit returns through the CVITP.
Associated links
Contacts
Chris MacMillan
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of National Revenue
Chris.Macmillan@cra-arc.gc.ca
Media Relations
Canada Revenue Agency
613-948-8366
cra-arc.media@cra-arc.gc.ca
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