Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP)
Volunteer at a Free Tax Clinic
Quebec Income Tax Assistance - Volunteer Program
Another Easy Tax-Filing Option - SimpleFile by Phone
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) sponsors the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, which provides free help to complete income tax returns. This free service is available to people with a modest income and a simple tax situation, who are not able to prepare their own tax returns. Returns will not be prepared for deceased persons, bankrupt individuals, or for people with capital gains/losses, business income or rental income. These clinics can help low income people, who often miss out on benefits if their tax returns are not filed, or if they are filed incorrectly.
Below are the general eligibility criteria, but these may differ depending on the tax clinic. For more information see About free tax clinics on the CRA website.
For 2025 tax returns, modest income is considered to be approximately $40,000 for an individual and $55,000 for 2 people, plus $5,000 for each additional dependant.
Your tax situation is simple if you have no income, or if your sources of income are from the following:
Your tax situation is not simple if you:
There are volunteer tax clinics in many communities. Most of them operate in March and April. For more information on this service, and a phone # to call for more information, see Need a hand with your taxes on the CRA web site.
Tax return preparers are not the only volunteers needed at the free tax clinics. The clinics need volunteers to organize things, greet people as they arrive, and complete tax returns. Experience doing tax returns is helpful but is not required. Volunteers are given web-based training. See Register to Volunteer for more information.
This program provides assistance to people who are unable to complete their tax returns by themselves, and cannot afford the services of a professional. Income levels are the same as for the CVITP (see above).
For more information visit Revenu Quebec Income Tax Assistance - Volunteer Program.
Another way to file your return if your situation is simple, is to use Canada Revenue Agency's SimpleFile by Phone service, filing by telephone.
Filing Your Personal Income Tax Return
Revised: December 12, 2025