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VICTORIANEWS Wednesday, March 19, 2014
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Step into spring A runner passes purple crocuses blooming in the grass along a pathway in Beacon Hill Park. Spring descends upon us, officially at least, at 9:57 a.m. Thursday. Don Denton/News staff
Taxman arrives, but only online Cuts to federal tax agency sees influx of new clients at local aid centres
Daniel Palmer Reporting
Funding cuts to federal tax offices are creating confusion and frustration for hundreds of Victoria residents, with non-profit groups being left to pick up the slack, says the head of a local legal aid group. Together Against Poverty Society is one of several local organizations who run tax preparation clinics for lowincome, disabled and senior residents on behalf of the Canada Revenue Agency each year. “It’s a program that the CRA
delivers, but all they do is refer people to organizations like us,” said Kelly Newhook, TAPS executive director. “So if you call CRA and ask them to help low-income people do their taxes, they end up in our office.” TAPS relies on six retired accountants and accounting students to help about 60 people file their taxes once a week as part of the CRA’s Community Volunteer Income Tax Program. Last year, volunteers recov-
ered $1.5 million in federal and provincial tax returns, and TAPS has already recovered $790,000 for more than 400 clients this season, Newhook said. On the CRA website, the referral program is touted as a “collaboration” with community organizations, but it amounts to little more than the downloading of government responsibility onto aid groups, Newhook said. “The program increases our overhead and CRA
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doesn’t give us a penny,” she said. “There’s usually a lineup outside the building when we arrive. We turn away about 20 people every week. They pack in this lobby, a lot of people with disabilities and health issues.” Last October, CRA offices across the country were permanently closed to the public, a result of more than $100 million in cutbacks to the agency. Victoria MP Murray Rankin said his office is experienc-
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ing a surge in calls from residents, many without access to computers, who are confused about how to access CRA services. “You don’t get the tax packages in the mail anymore, you can no longer do Telefile, and you can no longer do simplified tax return forms,” said Rankin, also the Official Opposition’s National Revenue critic. PlEASE SEE: Volunteer tax, Page A8
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