Calgary agencies help low-income and new Canadians pay their taxes

The Calgary non-profit organization offers free tax clinics to participants in its programs.

Momentum describes itself as a “change-making” organization that combines “social and economic strategies to reduce poverty.”

According to Executive Director Jeff Loomis, there are two obstacles that low-income people can overcome when paying their taxes.

“One is that people are afraid that they will end up owing the government, and people with low incomes often get a tax break,” he said.

“The second biggest barrier is often a lack of knowledge or confidence.”

Loomis Momentum offers year-round discount access so people can get discounts at a time that's convenient for them.

“We know that for Canadians living on low incomes, filing their taxes and then accessing the benefits can cost them up to 50 per cent of their annual income,” he said. “So these people can increase their income by paying taxes.”

The clinics are made possible by a number of volunteers, including Dale Huntingford.

He says he'll see several hundred people living this tax season.

“You spend 20 minutes with someone and you have an opportunity to earn extra income,” he said.

“GST rebates, carbon tax rebates, child tax rebates, often access to subsidized housing programs and low (cost) bus fares are all dependent on showing your last income tax return.

Huntingford says he sees some people who are afraid of forms or uncomfortable with numbers and don't have access to a computer.

He said Canada Revenue supports volunteers and facilitates access to expert advice over the phone to help resolve client issues quickly.

“One of the most satisfying situations (I've had) is a young mother trying to raise her child and go to school,” she said. “Within 10 minutes (I got it) I made $10,000, which stabilizes them for another year and that feels good.”

Tyler Lindsey saw a volunteer helping him with his taxes. He is currently unemployed, but has held several jobs in 2023.

“They went through it in 10-15 minutes and got me some money back,” he said.

“It's enough to keep me here for months, all the pressure is so much more expensive than inflation. It really is a lifesaver for me.”

Since 2017, the Immigrant Education Society (TIES) has hosted a free tax clinic supporting new Canadians.

His volunteer-run clinic has seen more than double the number of clients from an expected 300 taxpayers to 800.

Noha El Tanahi, Acting Manager of Settlement Services, expects reservations to be filled up to two weeks after April 30, and that along with visitors, another 500 people will request help with their tax returns.

“We are trying to educate and empower newcomers to make Canada feel at home and make life easier for them in Calgary,” he said.

“Some people come from different backgrounds, so for them the word 'tax' means a lot of bad things, not good things, so there are no benefits when it comes to taxes.”

According to him, newcomers cannot get the benefits they are entitled to without paying taxes.

El Tanahi says the TIES tax clinic helps clients qualify under the government's basic income definition and supports clients in Arabic, Spanish, Ukrainian, Russian, Dari, Hindi and Tagalog.

He said every dollar helps with the high cost of living in Calgary.

El Tanahi says the returns range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars, and recalls a case where he helped a single mother.

“He told me his parents are immigrants, that's why he came here, he never paid taxes for four or five years and he has three children,” El Tanahi said.

“She doesn't even know there's child benefit, so she walked out of the office with more than $30,000 a year, so she was very happy and excited about the service.”