Volunteers lend hands for tax time
Low-income residents offered free filing services
Jessica Davey-Quantick
Northern News Services
Friday, April 7, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
This tax season, some Yellowknife accountants are planning to give back by offering free tax services.
Carol Kemigisha is one of two accountants offering their time this month. - |
Janice Silverio and Carol Kemigisha have partnered to offer their skills as chartered professional accountants through the Canada Revenue Agency's Community Volunteer Income Tax Program.
Rommel Silverio is
also on board to lend
administrative help. But these Robin Hoods with calculators need some more merry men.
Kemigisha estimates that last year, the first year she volunteered, she saw around 25 people take advantage of the service.
"I'm not too sure if we will get more (this year)," she said.
So far this year, she and Silverio are the only accountants to sign on as volunteers, along with mentor Pamela Murray. Which means this can be an extra busy project.
"We have full-time jobs, and we can only do it during time that we have on our own. So I guess that is the trick, right?" she said.
The program is actively looking for more volunteers to help this year, which would mean being able to take on more clients.
Janice Silverio told Yellowknifer in an e-mail they're also looking for partnering organizations to be the drop-off and pick-up locations for tax documents, to make it easier for people to access the service.
Nationally, the household income threshold to qualify is $40,000, but the cap is raised to $50,000 per household in Yellowknife.
"Given that we are in the North, minimum wage is slightly higher than other Canadian provinces," stated she stated.
Individuals and couples making less than the cap are also eligible.
According to Kemigisha, the people who have used the service run the gamut.
"The ones who come in for help, they could be working but maybe working part time, or they could be earning some income support, you know," she said, adding that retired people could also benefit. "They've earned some money but it's below that threshold."
She said she expected that "almost everybody" in the North will receive a tax return, but some people might find it difficult to have to pay to have their taxes prepared.
That's a situation Rommel can understand. He came to Yellowknife from the Philippines 20 years ago, and started out with odd jobs.
"At one point we were at the end of that situation too," he said. "I know when they prepared my tax, it has a bit of a cost, and if you save that, it makes a big difference in your day to day."
He and his wife see the program as a way to give back.
"This is the way we feel we can give back to the community, giving a free service," he said. "Our goal would be to keep it up, like year round."
