Register to volunteer

Information

Although registration is available year round, please wait until the fourth week of October before registering for the upcoming tax season.

Thank you for choosing to volunteer at a free tax clinic!

Please ensure that you have read before you register – important information before registering.

Volunteers must meet certain requirements before they can participate in the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP). The requirements depend on your role as a volunteer. If you will have more than one role, register for the role that has the highest requirements. For example if you will be booking appointments and submitting tax returns electronically, follow the requirements for electronic filing (EFILE).

Please complete all requirements for the role(s) you register to volunteer in.

Returning volunteers will be required to enter their Volunteer Identification Number (VIN) when registering for the program.

About the VIN

The Volunteer Identification Number (VIN) is a unique and permanent, eight-digit identification number. It will remain the same for a volunteer year after year, even if there has been a break in program participation. Any volunteer approved to participate in the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) will be assigned a VIN and retain it for the duration of their participation in the program.

This is a new feature that was implemented in mid-May (2024). Should you be approved to participate with the CVITP, you will receive an email informing you of your approval and your VIN will be included in the email. For more information or assistance, please contact your CRA coordinator.

Register in a support role

If you volunteer in a support role, you can be an interpreter, greeter, administrator, or screener.

Before you register for any of these roles, you need to determine if you will access or handle taxpayer information.

If you will not access or handle taxpayer information, you must:

1. register for the CVITP

If you will access or handle taxpayer information, you must:

1. register for the CVITP
2. obtain a valid police records check

Register as a tax preparer

To register as a volunteer tax preparer, determine how you will prepare and file returns, then complete the steps below.

If you are preparing paper returns only, you must:

1. register for the CVITP
2. obtain a valid police records check

If you are transmitting returns electronically using the CVITP certified tax preparation software and do not intend to use the Auto-fill my return service, you must:

1. register for the CVITP
2. apply for an EFILE number or renew your EFILE account (see important note below)

If you are transmitting returns electronically with the CVITP certified tax preparation software and will be using the Auto-fill my return service, you must:

1. register for the CVITP
2. apply for a representative identifier (RepID) using the Represent a Client portal
3. apply for an EFILE number or renew your EFILE account (see important note below)
4. obtain a valid police records check

Important

When applying for an EFILE number or renewing your EFILE account, you will be required to provide a representative identifier (RepID). If you do not have a RepID, you can obtain one by registering with Represent a Client.

If you do not intend to electronically transmit returns, with or without using the Auto-fil my return (AFR) service, please do not apply for an EFILE number or renew your EFILE account. Only those transmitting tax returns electronically, with or without using AFR, should apply for or renew their EFILE account. Failure to comply to this requirement could result in your EFILE number being suspended.