AUNDECK OMNI KANING—Tax time can be scary for many people, but the Manitoulin Legal Clinic is taking aim at demystifying the arcane art of tax returns with a free clinic.
Manitoulin Legal Clinic is holding a free income tax and ID clinic on March 13 from 10 am to 4 pm at their office at 12A Hillside Road, just beside the Aundeck Omni Kaning administration office and all are welcome to attend.
“Many government programs (including Old Age Security, GIS, Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program) require participants to file their taxes regularly to provide up to date information,” notes executive director Laura Hunter. “As well, there are many subsidies and benefits that people can access once their taxes are filed.”
Part of the Legal Clinic’s mandate is to advance the interests of low-income residents of the District of Manitoulin, notes Ms. Hunter, adding that often the immediate concern is pretty simple—people just don’t have enough money to make ends meet. “But in the larger picture, persistent poverty is intertwined with many other determinants of health, including housing, education, food security, social inclusion and racism, that impact both individuals and their communities.
“Filing taxes helps get at the low hanging fruit of improved income security by removing a barrier to accessing benefits or credits that seniors, disabled individuals and other members of our communities would otherwise be eligible to receive,” said Ms. Hunter.
Income tax preparation is being done on site on March 13 by a representative from Sudbury Community Service Centre. In order to be eligible for the income tax clinic, annual income should be no more than $35,000 for a single person and $45,000 for couples. Participants should bring identification with date of birth, social insurance number, any T4, T5, T4A forms and confirmation of rent or property taxes paid. Income tax forms can be filed for 2022 and going back 10 years if needed.
It will be first come/first served, but the clinic will be running all day from 10 am to 4 pm.
“In conjunction with the income tax clinic, we can also provide assistance with identification applications (for example, birth certificates, delayed registration of birth, marriage certificates, etc.),” said Ms. Hunter. “For these applications, people may require a credit card to cover the application fee.”
