ONE STOP SHOP FOR TAXES & BENEFITS

E4C’s Make Tax Time Pay What: Free income tax preparation & help applying for government benefits & subsidies – for people living with a lower income Government benefit/subsidy at MTTP tax sites: –Canada Child Tax Benefit & GST Tax Credit –Seniors Benefits, RESP & RDSP info –Alberta Child & Adult Health Benefits –Childcare subsidies –City of Edmonton Leisure Access Pass Since 2006: Over $4 million in tax refunds (collective) When: Tax sites operate mainly in March & April (tax season) Where: Locations across Edmonton, including: libraries, churches, non-profits, colleges, family resource centres, drop-in centres, Homeless Connect & more

Why: Without doing your income tax: access to government assistance, benefit cheques, housing & child care subsidies, extended health care, leisure centres & more stops. E4C’s Make Tax Time Pay

Who: –Volunteer-based, each tax site has a ‘Site Coordinator’ – usually volunteer –Coordinated by E4C, a well established, non-profit in Edmonton’s inner city (provides equipment, supplies, etc.) –Program partners: Tax site organizations Edmonton’s Support Network (referral line) City of Edmonton Alberta Employment & Immigration Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CRA) E4C’s Make Tax Time Pay

History: –MTTP tax sites open in 2006 –Initiated by Vibrant Communities Edmonton –Reason: Provincial benefit had low up-take rate –barrier to access: income taxes (expensive & inaccessible) Transition: –MTTP was created with intention to transition –By 2009, VCE found a community champion: E4C –MTTP apart of E4C’s Nutrition & Community Services E4C’s Make Tax Time Pay

Program Statistics of service users: 2007:2011: - 16 tax sites - 27 tax sites volunteers volunteers tax returns - Over 4,200 tax returns - $78,357 in tax refunds - Over $1.3 million in tax refund Economic impact for service users: –Tax refunds –Free tax prep –Government benefit cheques & subsidies –Free access to leisure facilities (Edmonton) –Free access to extended health care for children, pregnant women, and persons with high, ongoing health care costs (Alberta) E4C’s Make Tax Time Pay

Challenges: –Funding –Resources (laptops) –Training –Not side-of-desk job Essential: –Collaboration & common goal –Volunteers aka: real people –Respect / No judgment –Concrete Fin Lit work –Passion –Flexibility E4C’s Make Tax Time Pay