Reference material for community organizations
This webpage is only for organizations participating in the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP).
Please do not share with anyone who is not a participating CVITP organization or volunteer.
About the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program
The CVITP is a collaboration between participating community organizations and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Participating organizations host free tax clinics where volunteers complete tax returns for eligible individuals.
In the province of Quebec, the program is known as the Income Tax Assistance – Volunteer Program (ITAVP) and is jointly administered by the CRA and Revenu Québec. Volunteers in Quebec complete both federal and provincial tax returns.
For more information, refer to Income Tax Assistance – Volunteer Program on Revenu Québec’s website.
Responsibilities of the community organizations
All CVITP organizations must be located in Canada in order to host free tax clinics in Canada. In addition, organizations must ensure that their regular business activities are clearly separated from any CVITP-related activities.
As a participating organization, you are responsible for:
- registering your organization with the CVITP
- planning your free tax clinics
- keeping information secure and confidential
- complying with the program terms and conditions of use for organizations
- ensuring that your volunteers comply with the program terms and conditions of use for volunteers, meet their responsibilities, and immediately inform a CVITP officer of any non-compliance
Registering your organization with the CVITP
Your organization must register with the CVITP every year to participate in the program. To make sure you are ready for tax season, register your organization in late October. After you complete the registration, a CVITP officer will contact you to make sure you have all the information you need to host a free tax clinic.
For more information, refer to Register your organization.
Planning your free tax clinics
You have the flexibility to decide when and how often to host your free tax clinics, whether year-round or only during tax season. Most free tax clinics are held between late February to early May, but you can host a clinic any time of the year.
To help plan your free tax clinics, we have highlighted below peak periods during the year.
CVITP timeline – peak periods
Text version for the above image
Recruiting & Registration: October to mid-February
Security Checks: November to mid-March
Training: December to mid-March
Laptop Distribution: October to March
Software & Activation Keys (UFile): Mid-January to April
Clinic Planning: October to December
Clinic information entry: January to March
Clinic Hosting: Mid-February to April
Clinic Wrap-Up: May to June
Volunteer Appreciation: May to June
Ongoing support: October to September
Types of clinics
Host a free tax clinic that is right for you based on the needs of your community and available resources. You can host tax clinics at several locations and offer varying sessions and schedules at each clinic.
Virtual tax clinics
Virtual tax clinics allow volunteers to complete tax returns through videoconferencing or by phone at a scheduled time. You can serve individuals within your province/territory or from underserved northern communities across Canada by choosing these options when registering your tax clinic:
- Virtual, serves eligible individuals within your organization’s province/territory.
- Virtual – Northern communities, serves eligible individuals in prescribed zones from across Canada.
Important note
For more information about virtual tax clinics, refer to the sections Screening and identifying the individual, Getting the individual’s authorization and information and Getting authorization to electronically submit the tax return of the CVITP learning guide.
In addition to the information in the CVITP learning guide, if your community organization is planning to host a virtual tax clinic, refer to resources for organizations:
Walk-in
At a walk-in tax clinic, tax returns are done during set hours on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointments are required.
When hosting walk-in tax clinics, remember to:
- assign separate work areas to ensure privacy and confidentiality
- assign a greeter to screen individuals to ensure they meet CVITP eligibility criteria and have all their documents
By appointment
This type of tax clinic requires an appointment to access CVITP services. Tax returns can be done in person or virtually.
These clinics allow you to plan for the number of individuals you can serve based on available resources.
Drop-off and pick-up
At a drop-off and pick-up tax clinic, individuals can drop off their income tax documents during set hours. A volunteer completes the tax return at their convenience. Individuals are notified when their tax return is done and to pick up their documents.
These clinics require less space and offer more flexibility.
Keeping information secure and confidential
Ensure all information is kept secure and confidential when hosting a tax clinic by reviewing Safeguarding an individual’s information and Returning and clearing information in the CVITP learning guide.
Recruit, support and train volunteers
As a participating organization, you play an important role in:
- recruiting volunteers
- supporting volunteers
- ensuring volunteers access the available training resources
Recruit volunteers
You are strongly encouraged to onboard new volunteers. This not only helps ensure the long-term sustainability of the program but also provides an opportunity for experienced volunteers to share their knowledge and mentor new and inexperienced volunteers.
Volunteers can have various roles. To learn more about the types of roles volunteers can take on, refer to Get ready to volunteer.
Here are a few ways to recruit new volunteers:
- Ask your CVITP officer to connect you with volunteers who are looking for an organization to affiliate with
- Look for volunteers within your organization and from your contacts
- Advertise by using the CVITP volunteer recruitment toolkit , provided by your CVITP officer
Support volunteers
Registration
All volunteers must complete the online registration form to Become a CVITP Volunteer at a free tax clinic.
Although CVITP volunteer registration is available year-round, we recommend that volunteers register or renew their registration starting the fourth week of October. Early registration helps volunteers get ready in time for the upcoming tax season. It also ensures they receive important information about CVITP training sessions and EFILE news.
Contact your CVITP officer if volunteers have difficulty accessing the online registration.
Program requirements
Volunteers must meet the requirements of their role before they can participate in the CVITP.
Volunteers who register for an EFILE account or renew their existing account will be screened for suitability and notified by email or mail when they are approved to use EFILE.
Volunteers should visit EFILE for electronic filers as soon as possible, as applications can take up to 30 business days to process. Contact your CVITP officer if you need help verifying that a volunteer is approved to use EFILE.
To use Auto-fill my return, volunteers must provide their organization with a valid police records check. For the CVITP, a police records check is valid if issued within the past three years. Organizations are responsible for validating the police record checks of their volunteers.
Important: Volunteers must not share or use another person’s EFILE number
Share your CVITP Organization Identification Number (COIN)
All approved organizations are assigned a CVITP Organization Identification Number (COIN), included in their approval letter, which they must retain for the duration of their participation in the program. The COIN is a unique and permanent identifier used for statistic and reporting purposes, that accurately tracks the number of tax returns completed under the program.
You are responsible for sharing your COIN with your volunteers. Ensure it is entered into the appropriate field of the CVITP tax preparation software.
Show appreciation
At the end of the tax year, CVITP officers will send out certificates of appreciation to organizations and volunteers as a sign of gratitude for their participation in the program.
The Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers (SMV) is another way to recognize the exceptional achievements of your volunteers. Volunteers with 10 or more years of service with the program can be nominated.
You may thank your volunteers in whatever way is meaningful to your organization.
Train volunteers
Ensure the volunteers you recruit have the necessary training.
Refer registered and approved volunteers to the CVITP learning guide. Encourage them to participate in the free virtual or in-person training sessions offered by CVITP officers to help them prepare for their role with the CVITP.
Respect and professionalism
Ensure your volunteers conduct themselves in a professional and respectful manner.
Taxpayers served at your clinics must be treated with respect, regardless of race, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, or religion.
Communicate
Reach out to your CVITP officer if you have any questions about hosting a tax clinic.
Remember to:
- ensure the CRA has approved the registration for each volunteer before they begin volunteering
- confirm that volunteers have met the program requirements based on their volunteer role, including providing a valid police records check
- inform the CRA when volunteers are no longer participating in the program (for example, a volunteer may be temporarily located outside of Canada, be deceased, or choose not to continue)
Important note
Community organizations and volunteers must not charge for the services they offer through the CVITP. They must decline any offers of payment. In addition, organizations must not charge a membership fee as a way to collect payment for completing tax returns.
The CRA reserves the right to suspend any organization or volunteer that violates the program terms, conditions of use, does not meet their responsibilities, or is involved in any disreputable conduct that would reflect adversely on the program.
Role of the CRA
Supporting organizations
The CRA provides the following support to organizations.
CVITP officer
CVITP officers are available to guide and support you and are your point of contact for any matters related to the CVITP.
Promotional material
Ask your CVITP officer for promotional material to help you recruit volunteers and promote free tax clinics.
- CVITP toolkits for organizations:
- content is downloadable, ready-to-use, and customizable
- Volunteer recruitment promo cards (RC637):
- available in English and French
- Submit the details of your clinics online:
- send information about your clinic using the online form provided by your CVITP officer
- specify if you are hosting tax clinics out of your residential home
- include as many details as possible, such as your tax clinic schedules, as it helps the CVITP plan and provide support
- option to post your clinic information (location and hours) on Canada.ca (this allows people to find your clinic using the Find a tax clinic tool)
Important note
Tax software
The CRA provides free access to UFile CVITP tax preparation software. Each year when the newest version is available (usually in late January), approved organizations receive an email containing activation keys and instructions on How to set up the software and start a new file.
UFile CVITP software is available on USB flash drives for those without Internet access. If you require a USB flash drive or need prior year versions of the software, contact your CVITP officer.
For more information on the UFile CVITP software, refer to the UFile overview section of the CVITP learning guide.
Laptop donation program
When possible, the Government of Canada donates surplus laptops to schools, charities and service organizations, including those hosting free tax clinics.
If your organization needs a free laptop, fill out form RC320, Community Volunteer Income Tax Program Laptop Donation Application Form. Please note that the CRA often receives more requests for computers than it can fulfill.
Donations are made to organizations, not volunteers. They are made on the condition that the organization agrees to actively take part in the program for three years.
Once a computer is donated, it no longer belongs to the CRA. The organization is responsible for keeping the computer up-to-date and secure.
Supporting volunteers
The CRA provides the following support to volunteers.
CVITP learning guide and training
The CVITP learning guide is a training and reference tool that is complemented by free virtual or in-person training sessions. Ask your CVITP officer if in-person training is available in your area.
Where Internet access is not always available, please contact your CVITP officer to request alternatives to online training such as PDF versions or in-person training.
Dedicated helpline for volunteers
Volunteers and organizations may call the CVITP dedicated helpline for questions about individual income tax, UFile CVITP tax preparation software and EFILE.
CVITP dedicated helpline for volunteers: 1-866-398-3488.
The CVITP dedicated helpline is available year-round during set hours:
- Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm, Eastern time.
This number is only for CVITP volunteers and organizations. Please do not share with individuals outside of the CVITP.
CVITP learning guide resources
- Eligibility criteria
- quick reference for requirements individuals must meet in order to participate in the CVITP
- CVITP eligibility and required documents
- Forms, job aids and fact sheets
- lists forms needed for preparing tax returns, as well as other documents for assisting CVITP volunteers and organizations
- Steps for hosting a free tax clinic
- Contacts and links
- phone numbers, including the CVITP dedicated helpline: 1-866-398-3488
- mailing addresses for paper tax returns
- helpful links for additional or expanded information not covered in the CVITP learning guide
- CVITP news and program updates
- keeps you informed on the latest CVITP program developments