Register as a Volunteer
To volunteer for the income tax assistance program, you must be affiliated with a participating organization and register by completing the electronic CRA form Volunteer registration.
You must enter the name of the community organization you will be affiliated with on the form. If you are not currently volunteering for an organization, mention this on the form. A program coordinator will contact you to help you find an organization in your area.
Your personalized space
As a program volunteer, you'll have access to a personalized space online 24/7.
After you register, we'll send you a user code to access the space.
In your personalized space you'll find:
- a learning guide that includes the following:
- a comprehensive tax guide that addresses the tax situations you are likely to encounter,
- a section on basic tax concepts,
- instructions on how to use UFile-CVITP software for specific tax situations,
- a section with case studies,
- a list of the tax changes for the current filing season;
- documents for income tax preparation sessions;
- working documents and forms;
- a calendar of tax webinars.
Tax webinars
In your personalized space, you'll have access to training webinars offered weekdays (including evenings) and weekends by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). They are designed to prepare you for the tax season. CRA and Revenu Québec instructors will walk you through case studies and let you ask questions about the topics covered.
Once you have registered for the income tax assistance program, you'll receive a user code to access your personalized space and the webinar links.
How to register as a program volunteer
Step 1 – Complete the online registration form
To register for the income tax assistance program, click Register as a Volunteer.
Step 2 – Register for the CRA and Revenu Québec online filing services
The online filing service allows authorized suppliers to file income tax returns with the CRA and Revenu Québec online, using return preparation software.
Under the Income Tax Assistance – Volunteer Program, returns prepared using software are usually filed online with the CRA and Revenu Québec. Volunteers 18 and over who want to use this type of service must obtain authorization from the CRA and Revenu Québec.
If you intend to file returns online with the CRA and Revenu Québec, do the following as soon as possible:
Register for the EFILE service and get authorization from the CRA (the verification process can take up to 30 business days).
ImportantWhen you register for EFILE or renew your EFILE account, you must provide a representative identifier (RepID). If you don't have a RepID, you can get one by registering with the Represent a Client service.
If you do not intend to file returns online, with or without the Auto-fill my return service, do not request an EFILE number or renew your EFILE account. Only people who file returns online, with or without the Auto-fill my return service, are required to request an EFILE number or renew their EFILE account. Failure to meet this requirement may result in the suspension of your EFILE number.
- Ask the organization you are affiliated with to register you with Revenu Québec's NetFile Québec service to get the necessary authorization to file returns (you cannot register yourself).
Step 3 – Meet the security requirements
In order to participate as a volunteer in the income tax assistance program, you may need to undergo a background check if either of the following situations applies:
- You do not intend to file income tax returns online, but you do intend to use the tax preparation software provided or file paper returns.
- You expect to handle or have access to personal and tax information.
You must provide the results of a background check done within the last three years to the organization you are affiliated with. The organization can also directly request to have the results of a background check.
Background check
A background check can be done by any police service, including municipal and regional police forces, or by a private company that provides personal background checks. There is usually a fee to get a background check. However, it may be covered under a program run by the Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale and the Ministère de la Sécurité publique that offers free background checks to volunteers working with community organizations whose activities and clientele meet certain criteria. The online application can be found at jebenevole.ca.
Important
A background check done using a court ledger (a register kept by the Ministère de la Justice) is not considered a valid background check under the tax assistance program.
A background check done within the last three years is considered valid under the program. You will not need to have a new one done.
- Your registration as a volunteer is valid for one year. If you want to continue participating in the program, you must register every year by completing the online form.
- We recommend that you register promptly—between the last week of October and December 31. This will allow you to complete the training and get EFILE and NetFile Québec numbers for the peak tax filing period, which is usually from the end of February to the beginning of May.
- If you register at a different time of year, you may not be able to complete the training or get EFILE and NetFile Québec numbers in time for the peak period. However, although the need for volunteers is often lower outside of tax season, income tax preparation sessions are held year-round. A coordinator will help you find a participating organization that holds sessions in your area.
Additional information
The CRA's Auto-fill my return
Auto-fill my return is an optional and secure CRA service that allows you, as a program volunteer, to automatically fill in parts of a taxpayer's federal income tax return using software provided under the program.
The service gives you access to taxpayers' CRA files when completing their returns.
If you want to use the Auto-fill my return service, you must:
- have followed steps 1, 2 and 3 under “How to register as a program volunteer”;
- use the software provided under the income tax assistance program: UFile CVITP;
- use UFile CVITP to submit the Authorization request – Signature page for each taxpayer for whom you are using the Auto-fill my return service.
The Auto-fill my return service lets you download tax data for 2017 and subsequent years.
Revenu Québec's Tax Data Download service – New
The Tax Data Download (TDD) service is a secure Revenu Québec service that lets program volunteers who have been authorized by Revenu Québec automatically complete parts of a taxpayer's Québec income tax return using software provided under the program. The TDD service allows you to access a taxpayer's information held by Revenu Québec when filing the taxpayer's Québec income tax return.
If you want to use the TDD service, you must:
have followed steps 1, 2 and 3 under “How to register as a program volunteer”;
ImportantAll EFILE registrations and renewals require a representative identifier (RepID). If you already have a RepID, you must provide it when renewing your registration. Otherwise, you can get one by registering with the Represent a Client service.
Only people who file returns online are required to request an EFILE number or renew their EFILE account. Failure to meet this requirement may result in the suspension of your EFILE number.
End of note
- use the tax software provided under the program;
- get the taxpayer's consent by:
- having them sign an Authorization to Download Tax Data: Income Tax Assistance – Volunteer Program (COM-1076.TD.A-V), or
- having them give you their download code.
The TDD service is only available through UFile CVITP, and the download code can only be used for the current year.