The snow is melting, the weather is warming, and people are starting to think about their gardens, which can only mean one thing: another income tax season is here, and the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program is back, to help qualifying individuals and households from Lytton to Clinton complete their 2024 tax returns.
The completely free service, which is administered by volunteers under the umbrella of the Community Resource Society and overseen by the Canada Revenue Agency, is available to single people with a yearly income of $35,000 or less and to couples with a combined yearly household income of $45,000 or less. Larger households can also qualify; add $2,500 to the couples’ rate for each additional person living in the house.
The service is intended for people with basic, straightforward tax returns, says longtime local organizer Vivian Edwards. “If you have a complex tax return, or are high income, we’re not the right people. People have to meet the income threshold and have a fairly simple return. And we don’t do businesses.”
Last year the volunteers completed more than 600 tax returns for people in the region; an increase over 2023, when they completed 526 returns. Two longtime volunteers have retired, but two new faces have come on board to assist.
Volunteers are based in Ashcroft/Cache Creek, Clinton, and Savona, with one person assisting people at The Equality Project in Cache Creek. Edwards says that people who don’t have transportation, or who are housebound, can do their return over the phone with a volunteer, who will complete and file the necessary paperwork. Returns are filed electronically, and refunds usually arrive within two weeks of filing.
Qualifying people who want to take advantage of the service need to gather together all their 2024 tax documents, such as T4s and T5s. You should also have any medical receipts from 2024, such as prescriptions, or charges for items like glasses, hearing aids, mobility aids, and more.
Expenses incurred attending out-of-town medical appointments can also be included, so be sure to have a list of the dates of any such trips, the destination of and reason for the trip, and your doctor’s name. However, if your return indicates that you will not pay any taxes, including medical receipts will not result in a larger refund; they can only reduce the amount of any taxes that you owe.
This year’s service has volunteers based throughout the region to serve residents in Lytton, Spences Bridge, Ashcroft, Cache Creek, Logan Lake, 16 Mile, Loon Lake, Clinton, Walhachin, Savona, and neighbouring First Nations. Anyone wanting to use the service should first schedule an appointment, then bring their paperwork so that volunteers can go over it with them. Appointments usually don’t last longer than 15 minutes. Edwards notes that the service is usually quite busy in March, but quiets down in April.
In Ashcroft, volunteers will be at the Ashcroft Library every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and at the Cache Creek Library every Wednesday from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., starting on March 4. Please note that there are no drop-ins, and paperwork cannot be left with library staff in Ashcroft or Cache Creek.
In Clinton, anyone wanting to use the service can call to book an appointment, while in Savona paperwork can be dropped off or picked up at the Savona Library. The service runs through the first week of May in all locations.
To book an appointment in Ashcroft or Cache Creek, call Vivian Edwards (between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays) at (250) 457-7081; if you would like to complete your return over the phone, call Chris Webster at (250) 453-9534. Anyone in Savona or the surrounding area can call Joanne McDaniels at (250) 319-3408; she will arrange to pick up your paperwork.
In Clinton, clients can call or email to book an appointment. The contacts there are Yvette May (250-212-5506, yvettermay@gmail.com) or John White (250-377-5848, jewhite2680@gmail.com).
