Get your taxes done for free
By Melissa Nilan, Marketing and Communications
The Douglas College Business Association (DCBA) provides Business students with opportunities to put their classroom-taught skills into practice.
One such opportunity is the DCBA Tax Clinic, which provides free tax filing help to Douglas College students and lower income families and individuals in the community.
This year’s tax clinic takes place March 2-April 30, Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm in the DSU Building (first floor, 88 Seventh St., New Westminster) and are drop-in only. To be eligible:
- Your income must be under $35,000 if single, or under $45,000 combined, if married.
- You cannot be self-employed, bankrupt or have capital gains.
For more information, including what documents to bring, visit the Tax Clinic 2020 page on the DCBA website.
The students filing the taxes are Accounting students who are CRA certified and trained by professional accountants. In 2019, the DCBA processed over 1,700 tax returns.
“Preparing and organizing a tax clinic that continuously grows each year, and outperforms the previous year, is an experience that can best be described as a rollercoaster,” says Nicholas Carroll, president of the DCBA. “But it’s worth it: In 2019 we nearly doubled the number of tax returns filed the year before.
“Being able to give back to the community by providing a free service for lower income families and individuals is full of rewards in itself,” he adds.
Are you an Accounting student interested in joining the DCBA tax team? In addition to the invaluable experience, you’ll receive a volunteer certificate from the Canada Revenue Agency. Learn more about joining the team on the DCBA website.
The DCBA meets regularly throughout the semester. If you’re a Business student looking to make connections, build your transferable skillset and have fun, stop by one of their upcoming meetings: Feb. 28, March 13, March 27 or April 10, 3:45pm-4:45pm, New Westminster Campus, room S1802.