Canada Customs & Revenue Agency
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Released: 28 May, 1999

Revenue Canada Thanks Volunteers For Helping Taxfilers Prepare Their Income Tax Returns

Ottawa, May 28, 1999...The Honourable Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of National Revenue and M.P. (Vancouver South-Burnaby) today thanked the many volunteers who helped members of their community complete their 1998 income tax returns. In appreciation of their efforts, the Minister met with volunteers at the tax services office in Calgary.

At the presentation, each participant received a certificate of appreciation from Revenue Canada in recognition of the work accomplished during the 1999 tax-filing season. Similar presentations are taking place across the country to recognize the impressive contribution of volunteers who assist taxfilers with their income tax returns.

"Volunteers make Canada a better place to live by helping Canadians meet their tax obligations and by ensuring they receive the tax credits they are entitled to," said the Minister. "We recognize the significant role volunteers play, and we are committed to finding ways to facilitate the important work that they accomplish every year."

Under the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, this year nearly 15,226 volunteers, including Revenue Canada employees, assisted more than 367,350 taxfilers in preparing their income tax returns. That represents an increase of 5% in the number of taxfilers helped by volunteers compared to 1998. The program has been helping Canadians for 28 years, and its success has been growing rapidly.

Becoming a volunteer is easy and the experience is a rewarding one. Revenue Canada runs a special program designed to provide volunteers across the country with free training on how to complete simple income tax returns. The volunteers are trained to meet the needs of many Canadians, especially low-income earners, seniors, students, people with disabilities, and new immigrants.

Revenue Canada also runs a joint volunteer program with the ministère du Revenu du Québec to help taxfilers in Quebec to complete their two tax returns (federal and provincial).