Tax Clinic

The Student Association hosts an annual Tax Clinic in the month of March. The tax clinic helps current George Brown Students file free Canadian income tax returns for the 2021 tax year.

This year, the Income Tax Clinic will be offered virtually/online from March 8 until April 28, 2022.

**By appointment ONLY. Online appointments will be available the week of February 28, 2022**

Eligibility – who can have their taxes prepared?

  • Must have a Social Insurance Card
  • Current George Brown Students (with current T2202A)
    • T2202A accessible via StuView
  • Suggested yearly income of:
Family size Total family income is under…
1 person $35,000
2 persons $45,000
3 persons $47,500
4 persons $50,000
5 persons $52,500
More than 5 person $52,500, plus $2,500 for each additional person
  • Interest income of less than $1,000
  • International students welcome

Regrettably, we WILL NOT be able to prepare your tax return if it involves any of the following items:

  • Driving for UBER, LYFT, DoorDash and all other delivery apps as these are considered self-employment/business income
  • Rental income and expenses
  • Business income and expenses (e.g. including self-employment income)
  • Disposition of marketable securities (e.g. Capital Gains/Losses on sales of shares)
  • Employment expenses (e.g. form T2200 signed by your employer)
  • Bankruptcy
  • Deceased persons
  • Interest Income over $1000

International Students:
International students are welcome and encouraged to file a tax return even if they don’t have any income! You will need to have an Individual Tax Number (ITN). If you’re a first-time filer, learn how to apply for an ITN. 

International Taxes:
We cannot prepare tax returns for other countries at this time (eg. US tax returns for students that had co-op in the US).

List of items to have available with you on the day of your appointment:

  • Social Insurance Number (SIN) or Individual Tax Number (ITN)
  • Information slips (e.g. T3, T4, T4A, T5, T5013, etc.)
  • Tuition Slips (T2202: available on StuView)
  • ‘Notice of Assessment’ from previous income tax return (if not filing for the first-time)
  • Rent receipts or property tax paid in Ontario
  • Medical Expenses
  • Donation Receipts (e.g. Endowment Fund)
  • Records for Moving Expenses

Less Common Items:

  • Tips or Gratuities Earned
  • Receipts showing enrolment of a child (16 yrs of age or under at beginning of 2021) in fitness or arts extra-curricular activities
  • Carrying Charges (eg. investment fees, safety deposit box charges)
  • RRSP Contribution Receipts
  • Interest on Student Loans
  • Home Buyer’s Amount – let us know if you purchased a new home in 2021

How to Access GBC Student Documents

T4 from co-op work/summer job
Your employer will mail this to the mailing address they have on file, so be sure that they have the most up-to-date mailing address especially if you lived away from home during co-op. If you haven’t received this by March 1, follow up with your employer.

T4/T4A (eg. Scholarships/Bursaries, other GBC employment)
Available on your StuView Account.

T2202 Tuition Slip
StuView -> Financial Services-> Tax Receipts -> Print all viewable formsYou may have taken courses at an online post-secondary or other post-secondary in the current tax year. Make sure you get a T2202 from them as well (eg. Athabasca University T2202).

Charitable Donations to Endowment Fund(s)
Students will receive this by mail from or in-person from the charitable organization or endowment institution by March 1. If you have not, you should follow up with the charity or endowment in tuition.

Rent Receipts

  • The address you lived at (including postal code)
  • How many months in 2021 you were there for
  • The name of the landlady/landlord/company that owned it, or the person you subletted from

You should get a letter/receipt from your landlord (or sublettor) confirming the above, in case CRA audits you in the future. Easiest way is to write the letter yourself, print it off and get them to sign it. Make sure the letter contains the above 3 items as well as your name!

Moving Expenses
If you moved, and are now 40 km closer to your new workplace, you may be able to deduct moving expenses against the income you earned (eg. move from studying at Waterloo -> your parents’ house in Toronto for co-op). The information needed is:

  1. Use Google Maps to determine the distance between
  • Your old residence and your new work
  • Your new residence and your new work
  • Kilometres between new residence and old residence
  • Meals eaten during this move
  • Number of nights, usually zero
  1. Address of both new and old residences (including postal codes)
  2. Date of move
  3. Date you started the new job
  4. Name and address of employer that you moved to work at/attend
  5. Amount of moving expenses, unless you took a train/plane, the best way is usually the ‘simplified method’

The tax-filing deadline for most individuals is April 30, 2022.

Click here to book an appointment

Read the Tax Clinic FAQs

Read the Tax Clinic FAQs

When is the income tax clinic this year?

  • March 8 to April 28, Tuesday to Thursday from 10 am to 4 pm

How do I book an appointment?

What documents and items do I need to file my income tax return?

  • Please visit the tax clinic page for a list of documents you need to file your income tax return.

What platform are you using for the virtual income tax clinic?

  • We are using ZOOM. ZOOM link information will be sent on a separate email to those who successfully booked an appointment online. Information will be provided at least 24 to 48 hours prior to your scheduled appointment.

How long is the appointment?

  • We allocate an hour for each appointment; however, each appointment may vary depending on your income tax return, the number of tax slips you have, if you have a spouse or common-law partner and/or children, etc. Every individual’s income tax situation is very unique; therefore, we need to ensure that we’re filing your income tax return properly according to your unique situation.
  • Generally, if you’re single and have a simple tax return, your appointment will take no more than 30 minutes.
  • If you have dependents such as a spouse or common-law partner and or children, your appointment may take up to 2 hours.
  • You can certainly help us conduct a smooth and efficient appointment by making sure that you’re 100% prepared and have all of your tax information, slips, receipts, etc. ready before the start of your appointment.

I have income tax returns from prior years (2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, etc.), can you help me file these income tax returns?

  • Unfortunately, we can only help you file your current year (2021) income tax return. There are a number of other organizations within Toronto and the GTA who can help you file your prior year’s income tax return. A list of these organizations can be found here.

I am an alumnus and no longer a student at George Brown College can I still file my income tax return at the clinic?

  • Unfortunately, this free income tax service is only available to current George Brown College students; however, there are a number of different organizations throughout Toronto and the GTA who can help you file your income tax return. You can find the list on here.

Can I file my income tax return if I drive for Uber/Lyft/Uber Eats, etc.?

  • Regrettably, we WILL NOT be able to prepare your income tax return if you driver for Uber/Lyft/Uber Eats, etc. because this is considered self-employment/business income and it’s extremely complicated to file these types of income tax returns.

What kind of tax returns can you help me file electronically?

  • We can file simple tax returns with modest income:
Family size Total family income is under…
1 person $35,000
2 persons $45,000
3 persons $47,500
4 persons $50,000
5 persons $52,500
More than 5 person $52,500 plus $2,500 for each additional person

 

  • Interest income of less than $1,000

What are the tax returns that you CANNOT prepare?

  • Regrettably, we will not be able to prepare your income tax return if it involves any of the following:
    • Rental income and expenses
    • Driving for Lyft/Uber/Uber Eats, etc.
    • Business income and expenses (e.g. including self-employment income)
    • Disposition of marketable securities (e.g. Capital Gains/Losses on sales of shares)
    • Employment expenses (e.g. form T2200 signed by your employer)
    • Bankruptcy
    • Deceased individuals
    • Interest Income over $1000
    • Foreign Property (T1135)

Who are the individuals helping me file my income tax return?

  • The individuals who will be helping you file your income tax returns are also GBC students. These individuals have kindly dedicated their time to volunteer (UNPAID) for the income tax clinic because they simply want to help their fellow GBC students file their income tax for FREE. Please remember to be kind, patient, and respectful towards them. All students of George Brown College are responsible for conducting themselves in a manner which maintains a safe and respectful learning and working environment and are responsible for avoiding behaviours which violate the College’s Code of Student Behaviour and Community Standards policy. George Brown College has zero tolerance for negative behaviours.

When can I expect to receive my income tax refund?

  • After we successfully submit your income tax return online, it may take about 2 weeks for Canada Revenue Agency to send your refund.

What is a ‘Notice of Assessment’?

  • Your notice of assessment is an evaluation of your tax return that the Canada Revenue sends you every year after you file your tax return. Please visit the Canada Revenue Agency website to learn more about notice of assessment.

I already filed my income tax return but I still haven’t received my refund. What is happening?

  • The CRA may keep some or all of your refund if you:
    • owe or are about to owe a balance
    • have a garnishment order under the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act
    • have certain other outstanding federal, provincial, or territorial government debts, such as student loans, employment insurance and social assistance benefit overpayments, immigration loans, and training allowance overpayments
    • have any outstanding GST/HST returns from a sole proprietorship or partnership
    • have a refund of $2 or less

How do I check the status of my tax refund?

  • If you reside in Canada, wait 8 weeks before contacting the Canada Revenue Agency for an update on your tax return and refund status. If you reside outside of Canada, wait 16 weeks.
  • You can check online through your ‘My CRA Account’
  • Or, by phone 1-800-959-1956. Before you call, you’ll need the following to verify your identity:
  • Social Insurance Number
  • full name and date of birth
  • your complete address
  • line 150 from your most recent assessment

When can I expect to receive benefit payments?

  • For information on payment dates for Canada Child Benefit (CCB), Goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) credit, Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) and other benefits, please visit the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) website.

When is the deadline to file my income tax return?

  • Income tax filing for individual returns is on April 30, 2022. Filing on time avoids delays and ensures that you receive the refunds, benefits, or credit payments that you may be entitled to, in a timely manner.

If I’m owing, when is the deadline to make payment?

  • To avoid late-filing penalties and interest, you must ensure that your returns are filed by April 30, 2022, and that payments are made by April 30, 2022.

I made a mistake on my income tax return and forgot to include one of my tax forms, what do I do?

  • Once our volunteers successfully submit your income tax return online, you are solely responsible for contacting the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to add any missing information or change any information on your tax return. Please visit the CRA’s website for more information.

I am still waiting on my employer to send me one of my T4 slips and my other tax receipts, what should I do?

  • We strongly suggest for you to wait until you receive all of your T4 slips and other tax receipts before you can file your income tax return. If you file your income tax return without all of your tax slips and receipts, your tax return will be considered incomplete by CRA. Below are some of the options you can do to obtain these tax slips:
    • Contact your employer or the company and ask them to send your tax slips/receipts via email.
    • If this is not your first time filing your income tax return and you already have a ‘My CRA Account’ setup, you can sign in to your My CRA Account and get a copy of all your tax slips. Please visit the CRA Website for more information.

How do I contact CRA if I have any questions about my income tax return and benefits?

  • CRA’s contact information is as follows:
  • Income Tax enquiries: 1-800-959-8281
    • Call for information regarding
    • SIN number Issues
    • Past income tax return issues
    • Issues specific to a person’s income tax profile
  • Income tax refund enquiries: 1-800-959-1956
  • Questions about GST/HST Credit: 1-800-959-1953
  • Benefit enquiries such as, Canada Child Benefit (CCB), and other related provincial and territorial programs: 1-800-387-1193
  • Provincial Programs for Ontario (PPO) including: Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) including Ontario Sales Tax Credit (OSTC), the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC) and Northern Ontario Energy Credit (NOEC): 1-877-627-6645

I filed my income tax return with you in the past, do you still have a copy of my past income tax return?

  • We DO NOT save any income tax returns on our computers. In the past, after we successfully submit your income tax return electronically, we normally save your income tax forms on a USB you provided so you have a copy for your records. Unfortunately, if you lose your tax forms, there is no way for us to help you retrieve your prior income tax files.

What information do I need to setup my direct deposit account?

  • At the time of your appointment, you will need the following information so we can help you setup your direct deposit information:
  • Five-digit branch or transit number of the financial institution
  • Three-digit number of the financial institution
  • Your account number (without hyphens or spaces between numbers)
  • Instructions on how to access your direct deposit information is available on here.

I am renting, what documents and information do I need to include this on my tax return?

  • You need the following information:
    • Full address including postal code
    • Name of landlord (person’s name or company name if renting from a company or corporation)
    • Number of months you occupied this residence
    • Totally amount rent paid for 2021

I lived and rented at multiple locations in 2021, can I include this on my income tax?

  • You just need to provide the full address, name of landlord, the number of months and total amount rent paid for 2021 at each location.

I was living in a student residence; can I include this on my income tax return?

  • Yes, you can. We just need the name of the student residence you lived in 2021.

I was staying at an Airbnb for a bit because I was having issues finding a rental place, can I include this as part of the rent I paid in 2021?

  • Yes, you can if you stayed at an Airbnb for a minimum of 1 month. You will need to provide the full address, name of landlord, the number of months and total amount rent paid in 2021 while staying at an Airbnb.
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