Do Your Taxes For Better Health

Prairie Mountain Health wants to help people get their taxes done.

Low-income earners across the Parkland are encouraged to use the free Community Volunteer Income Tax Program.

Brett Turner, with PMH, says better income can improve your health.

“Because they get access to benefits that they may not get access to if they don’t file their tax return. We see people who have gone several years without filing their taxes and end up getting a substantial refund because they file their taxes and also get access to those other programs.”

Last year the average return to an individual client was around $3,441.

“It’s important for people to do their income taxes to get access to various different kinds of benefit programs. They don’t do their taxes; they don’t get access to those programs. Lots of them are based on your income. So, things like the GST credit, child tax benefit, provincial programs like rent assist, they are all based on you filing your income taxes.”

This CVITP is approved by Canada Revenue Agency and coordinated by Prairie Mountain Health. The volunteers who file your income tax and benefit return are Canada Revenue Agency trained.

There are locations all over the Parkland that people can drop off their tax forms and get everything sorted out.

In Dauphin, the North West Metis Council and the Dauphin Friendship Centre offer services year round.

Some other locations that offer drop off services include: Elbert Chartrand Friendship Centre in Swan River, Neepawa Public Library, Roblin Hospital, L.E.A.R.N. Inc. in Roblin, Rossburn Health Centre, Community Futures Parkland in Grandview, Rossburn Health Centre, Russell Community Health Services, Municipality of McCreary Office, and the Ste. Rose Primary Health Care Centre.

You can get your income tax done free through this program if you fall under one of the categories below: