Statement from Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson about the renewal of grant program for free tax clinics

I was pleased to see the announcement from the Honourable Wayne Long, Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions), that the Grant program for the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) and the Income Tax Assistance – Volunteer Program (ITAVP) in Quebec has been extended for another three years.

OTTAWA, February 5, 2026 – I was pleased to see the announcement from the Honourable Wayne Long, Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions), that the Grant program for the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) and the Income Tax Assistance – Volunteer Program (ITAVP) in Quebec has been extended for another three years.

The CVITP has existed since 1971 and has been helping taxpayers with a modest income and a simple tax situation to file their returns for free. These clinics are hosted by community organizations, with support from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), and are mostly run by volunteers.

However, after the CRA discontinued its grants and contributions program in 2011, there was no mechanism for it to provide direct monetary support to host organizations until the CVITP Grant started in February 2021. The Grant was introduced after our Office published the systemic examination report Reaching Out in May 2020, in which we recommended that the CRA reinstate the grants and contributions program.

Initially a three-year pilot program, the CVITP Grant has been helping host organizations offset the cost of running free tax clinics based on the number of returns filed. After initial success, the pilot was extended for an additional year twice before most recently being renewed for an additional three years.