Tax Clinics
Each year, UTSU helps over 600 students file their taxes at its annual tax clinic that provides members with FREE 1-on-1 assistance from student volunteers (who have completed Canada Revenue Agency training). Appointments will be held in-person at the Student Commons, 230 College Street.
International students need to bring certain documents and information to your appointment. See what documents you need here.
Tax Clinic 2023 Highlights:
- We provided tax filing assistance to over 400 students!
- This year we offered appointments entirely in person at our Student Commons building
- We had a team of 31 tax volunteers and 2 volunteer supervisors who provided filing assistance with 2021 and 2022 taxes
- Volunteers committed more than 600 hours to the clinic
- We assisted part-time and full-time undergraduate students, graduate students, and student families
The 2023 tax season is now over. Check back on this page next year for the 2024 Tax Clinic.
Documents to have for your appointment (If Applicable):
- Government-issued photo ID
- Most recent Notice of Assessment (note: only for people who previously filed taxes)
- Social Insurance Number (SIN) (Required to EFILE)
- T4 – Salary/wages (T4 provided by employer)
- T4A – Scholarships, bursaries
- T2202 – Tuition fees and education amount (get it from ACORN)
- T5 – Investment income
- RRSP contributions
- Charitable contributions
- Medical expenses (not covered by a medical plan)
- Property taxes or rent paid (rent cheques or a letter from your landlord)
- For international students, the date of arrival to Canada, and immigration status (if a new immigrant)
- For parents, a list of your dependents, exact dates of birth, and SINs, spouse, partner info
(This list will be emailed to you when you book your appointment or you can download a PDF version here.)
NOTES: Appointments are first come first served. If you visit the booking site and no appointments are available please check back regularly as slots are opened each week based on volunteer availability.
UTSU tax volunteers may assist with simple tax situations only. We may be unable to help when a student: makes more than $55,000 annually; is self-employed; has capital gains or losses; has foreign or interest income over $1000; has declared bankruptcy; or $1000 or more appears in Box 48 on the T4A form.
If you are a family (e.g. married, common-law), you must use the book a Student Family Tax Appointment option on the booking page when scheduling your appointment.
Students looking to file for family members must have their family members (and their relevant documentation) present at the appointment.
Newcomers to Canada need to have their date of arrival to Canada and immigration status available.
The clinics are held in partnership with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) who provides training for volunteers under the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program. This free service is reliant on volunteer participation and runs roughly 6 weeks.
We are not currently recruiting volunteers. For any inquiries email tl.crc@utsu.ca.
The Canadian Federation of Students and UFile ONLINE have joined together to provide FREE online tax preparation and filing for all Canadian post-secondary students. To be eligible for this special offer, the student must be a resident of Canada, have tuition fees and have attended school for at least one month during the tax year being prepared.
To access the free UFile tax service:
- Student signs in to a new or existing UFile account for the current tax year.
- Enter tuition fees and months at school and click NEXT.
- Scroll to locate the “Special offer” form in UFile’s left-hand navigation.
- Enter the following Canadian Federation of Students “Free for Students” special offer code: CFS1981 and click NEXT.
- Enter tax information and then print or NETFILE the income tax return.
APUS also runs a FREE Tax Clinic for their members – please visit www.apus.ca.
If a student will transfer tuition credits to their parents or grandparents, they may prefer to have their tax return completed together with theirs. Tuition credits that are not used or transferred to a supporting person in the current year will be carried forward by UFile for future use by the student.
Other free tax clinics may be researched (by location) on the Canada Revenue Agency website by searching “Find a tax clinic in your area.”
For more information contact hello@utsu.ca
Testimonials
Here’s what our volunteers and clients say about our service:
“Volunteering at a tax clinic after completing my final exam in taxation was an incredible opportunity that I am extremely grateful for. It was an amazing experience that opened my eyes to the practical application of income tax laws and benefit plans, which went beyond what I had learned from my textbooks. Being able to see the challenges people face when it comes to tax preparation firsthand was truly eye-opening. It was one thing to learn about the theoretical aspects of taxation, but it was an entirely different thing to help people navigate through complex tax issues in real-life situations. By volunteering at the tax clinic, I was able to put my knowledge into practice and give back to the community by helping people overcome challenges that they faced with their taxes.”
– Alisha, Tax Clinic Volunteer
“I’ve always been intrigued about the tax filing system after studying taxes at Rotman and volunteering with UTSU has helped me apply that knowledge in a pragmatic way. The highlight of working with the clinic was the client interaction and satisfaction. Lastly, I loved the support that we got from everyone running the clinic.”
– Ashima, Tax Clinic Volunteer
“As a university student studying finance, I was looking for opportunities to gain practical experience in taxation. Volunteering as a tax preparer was incredibly rewarding, especially knowing that I could assist individuals who may not have had access to professional tax services otherwise. It was fulfilling to be able to make a positive impact on the lives of others.
In addition to my professional and personal growth, I was also able to expand my professional network by meeting other university students studying accounting and finance. Overall, the tax volunteer program was a great opportunity for me to gain practical experience in taxation while positively impacting the community. I highly recommend it to other university students seeking practical experience in the field.”
– Nikita, Tax Clinic Volunteer
“I took advantage of this free service last year (2022) and this year (2023). In both years I enjoyed the service, I was patiently and carefully attended to and I had so much confidence in the process compared to other free tax filing services outside school. Thank you UTSU.”
– Yusuf, Tax Clinic Student Client
“The UTSU Tax Clinic for students makes filing my taxes incredibly easy and stress-free. I’ve used their services for a few years now, and being able to get my taxes done through a reliable, trust-worthy, and free service gives me one less thing to worry about!”
– Maria, Tax Clinic Student Client
FAQ
Unfortunately, this year we are not conducting appointments virtually. All appointments are conducted in person at Student Commons (230 College Street). You will be assigned a meeting room based on your appointment slot.
Enter the building through the Huron Street (main) or laneway (east) entrance. There are two elevators and three stairwells in the building that will take you to the fifth floor.
Upon arrival for your appointment, please check in at the table located across from the tax clinic meeting rooms on the fifth floor. Please do not enter the meeting room without checking in; have a seat in the waiting area (outside the meeting rooms) and the tax volunteer will greet you when they are ready.
If you are filing as a student family and have a common-law partner or spouse, the spouse/partner needs to be present with their individual documents. Dependents are not required to be present during the appointment.
You can cancel or reschedule your appointment through Calendly (information is provided in the appointment confirmation email). We ask that you submit cancellations with enough notice (24 hours or more). To reschedule, kindly look at our website for any openings.
Please note that if you cancel your appointment, we cannot manually schedule you in for another.
If you are running late for your appointment or cannot attend your appointment and the appointment has started, contact tl.crc@utsu.ca.
Due to a high volume of requests, we kindly ask that you only schedule an appointment if you need someone to prepare and file your tax return.
You can bring either hard copies or soft copies of your documents.
Appointment slots open week by week and are based on volunteer availability. Please check back regularly for open slots if you cannot find one right away.
Please review the information on this page regarding eligibility. UTSU tax volunteers may assist with simple tax situations only. We are unable to help when a student makes more than $55,000 annually; is self-employed; has capital gains or losses; has foreign or interest income over $1000; has declared bankruptcy; or $1000 or more appears in Box 48 on the T4A form.
Please read the screening questions on our booking form carefully. If you are not eligible for our service we may cancel your appointment.