Who can apply
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Eligibility criteria
Eligible organizations must host free tax clinics and file income tax returns electronically for clients through the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) or through the Income Tax Assistance – Volunteer Program (external link) (ITAVP).
To be eligible for the CVITP Grant, your organization must meet all the following conditions:
- Your organization is registered and approved to participate in the CVITP or ITAVP
- Your organization has been assigned a CVITP Organization Identification Number (COIN)
- Your organization hosts or administers a CVITP/ITAVP free tax clinic
- Your organization electronically files a minimum of ten federal income tax returns for eligible individuals
- Your organization has at least two registered volunteers, yourself included
- Your organization provides federal income tax return preparation services free of charge. Organizations that promote their clinic on social media, on Canada.ca, on their website, or through any other promotional means must clearly indicate that the preparation and filing of federal income tax returns are offered free of charge.
- Your organization has a bank account with a Canadian institution and accepts direct deposit
- Your organization is a non-profit, charity, or community group.
Examples:
- Seniors’ support and recreation centres
- Shelters and support centres
- Family service associations
- Settlement organizations
- Multicultural societies
- Service clubs (for example: Lion’s Club, Royal Canadian Legion)
- Band offices
- Volunteer bureaus
- Post-secondary student groups or associations
- Places of worship
- Your organization does not fall within the following categories:
Categories:
- Federal or Provincial Member of Parliament offices
- Municipal councillor offices
Verifying your eligibility
The CRA will verify that your organization is eligible to receive the CVITP Grant. Organizations who are found to not meet one or multiple criteria may have their application denied. Furthermore, organizations who are found to have made fraudulent claims in their application, or to have been charging for their tax clinic services may have their participation in the program suspended.
There can only be one application per organization. If your organization holds multiple COINs, make sure to combine all the returns filed under those COINs when declaring the returns filed by your organization.
If information is missing from your application, we may contact your organization to request additional documentation to complete the process.