THE 2020 TAX SEASON

Please see below for a list of alternative filing options for you to complete and file your tax return(s).

Free Services:

Low-Cost Services:

Please be advised that this list of resources is for general informational purposes only and is provided in good faith. The Students’ Union, University of Calgary does not warrant, endorse, guarantee, or assume responsibility for the accuracy or reliability regarding these third-party resources.

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FAQ




A: The NOA summarizes tax tax return from the prior year and provides key carry forward information for the current year’s tax return. If you have never filed Canadian taxes before, you will not have a NOA. If you have filed Canadian taxes in the past, you will have a NOA. You can get it from your CRA online account or you can call CRA at 1-800-959-8281 and gather 4 key numbers: Federal tuition carry forward amount, provincial tuition carry forward amount, RRSP Deduction Limit, and Unused RRSP Contribution Carry Forwards. These are the 4 amounts you will need to complete your tax return.



A: As an incentive to pursue post-secondary education, the federal and provincial government allows the use of tuition credits. Tuition credits are non-refundable, meaning that they can only be utilized to the extent that they reduce the amounts you owe to CRA to begin with. If you had a very little or no income throughout the year, your tuition credits will not be used. Instead, you can either transfer them to a parent or spouse (up to a maximum of $5000) or carry them forward indefinitely.
Example: Zane earns $10,000 in 2019 and he pays $6,000 of tuition. Because Zane does not earn more than the minimum income level for tax (which is about $13,000), he will not need to apply any of his tuition credits. He can transfer $5,000 to his parents or spouse, and then carry forward the remaining $1,000. He can also carry forward the the full $6,000. In the future, when he earns more income, Zane can claim his tuition credits to receive a refund of his taxes paid. More information can be found here.



A: Effective January 1, 2020, Alberta students will no longer be able to claim provincial tuition and education credits. However, you will still be able to claim 2019 tuition credits and carry forward any unused amounts indefinitely. Federal tuition and education amounts will still apply until further notice. Read more about the provincial change here.



A: Your refund (or balance owing to CRA) is determined by a series of complex calculations. The maximum amount your refund can be is the amount of income tax that was already deducted from your employment income. If you would like additional information in regards to how your refund (owing) was calculated, don’t hesitate to drop by the tax clinic or send us as email.


If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to visit us in the tax clinic or send us an email at vstax@ucalgary.ca.

WHO ARE WE AND WHAT DO WE DO?

The Students’ Union Volunteer Tax Program (SU VTP) at the University of Calgary began operating in 2000 in associated with the CRA’s Community Volunteer Income Tax Program. Since then, our program coordinators, Client Relations, EFILE, and Audit Team Leads, along with over 100 trained volunteers, assist members of the campus community in completing and filing their tax returns for free, either by e-filing or providing a mail-in tax return to clients.

What is the StudentS’ Union Volunteer Tax Program?

The Canada Revenue Agency, and other Community Volunteer Income Tax Programs (CVITPs) similar to ours, host free tax preparation clinics all over Canada for qualifying low-income individuals, seniors, and new immigrants and families. Every year at the University of Calgary, qualified volunteers are selected to prepare tax returns for eligible members of the campus community – many of whom are students and university employees. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), in conjunction with the Students’ Union Volunteer Tax Program team, provides training and tax software to over 100 volunteers who help to file over 1,000 returns annually.

Who is eligible for the SU Volunteer Tax program?

The Volunteer Tax Program is specifically designed to help low income individuals with limited income. To check your eligibility, please click here.

 

BE A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY

We are no longer accepting applications for this year.