Left to right, Najmeh Abtahi, Lina Gharbiya and Desmond Arsenault (Elizabeth MacLeod)
The Community Volunteer Income Tax Clinic offered at the Saint John Newcomers Centre is helping local newcomers breathe a sigh of relief at tax time.
“Last year we did almost 400 tax returns and we’re expecting to double this year,” said Lina Gharbiya, Newcomer Settlement Advisor at the centre. “We really encourage them to understand their duties and rights and to do their taxes.”
The centre thought the clinic was a great opportunity to be a part of Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, (CVITP) which in collaboration with the Canada Revenue Agency, (CRA) helps people with modest incomes or simple tax situation have their tax returns prepared for free.
“We’re a great partner with UNB and NBCC,” Gharbiya adds. Many international students are unaware that they are supposed to file taxes and the universities send students to the Newcomer Centre to do their taxes.”
Training is offered online by the CVITP for volunteers who want to participate in the clinic; an accounting or financial background is not necessarily required and a criminal background check is also a qualifier for volunteers.
This year’s clinic at the centre is staffed by ten volunteers.
“If someone doesn’t have a background but have the mindset and the energy, I get them shadowing at the beginning until they’re confident and they feel okay they can go on their own,” said Gharbiya.
Clinic volunteer Najmeh Abtahi, who is also a newcomer to Saint John, explains newcomers can either make an in-person appointment or drop off their tax documents to be completed, which are then reviewed by the volunteer and newcomer before they are filed.
Volunteers are also able to help individuals in several languages, including Farsi, Dari, Mandarin, Arabic, Somalian, Swahili, Spanish and Portuguese.
CRA Spokesperson Desmond Arsenault states the Newcomers Centre’s clinic is, “an opportunity for the volunteers to give back to the community, to provide a great service to their fellow neighbors, to make sure that they receive all the benefits they are entitled to. It’s certainly appreciated by the individuals who come here to receive that service.”
“To me, one of the memorable and rewarding things is seeing the smiles on the clients faces as they thank us for the time and assistance,” said Abtahi.
The centre is offering CVITP clinics on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays through March and April.
