It's tax season and that means endless paperwork for some people. If you thought one return was bad, can you imagine filing up to 80 returns every day?
The Community Income Tax Centre at the Saskatoon Food Bank is buzzing. The staff will help an average of 60 Saskatoon residents a day, with the heavy days bringing in closer to 80 families.
The center is open Monday to Friday until the first Friday in May, helping low-income individuals and families with simple tax returns.
The volunteer staff is made up of people from the community, including accountants, professors, doctors – anyone who can fill out a tax return and wants to help.
Linda Guedo, the Coordinator at the centre, says the work is intensely gratifying.
"We do provide income support programs for people. Low-income earners are eligible for GST, child tax benefits. Seniors are eligible for guaranteed income tax supplement. And by filing tax returns we help people get that money. For many low-income people, that money it part of their income, it's what they live on. It's what they use to pay their rent and buy their groceries and Christmas presents and stuff like that. What we're doing is providing a good service and they really appreciate it."
