Can I book an appointment with you?

No appointment necessary! We find that the best way to help as many people in our community as possible is to offer walk-in services, which offers the greatest flexibility, and allows people to grab missing information if they've left at home, or come back another time if they don't have everything at the moment.

Do you offer online services/drop-off services?

Due to resource contraints, this is not a service we can provide. We are constantly evaluating our service offering to see how we can better serve our community, and this may be available in the future depending on funding and resources.

I've already prepared my tax return, I just need you to review it.

This is not a service that we provide at our Tax Clinic.

I'm not a student of the University of Waterloo, can I still use your service?

Absolutely, we do not restrict our services to University of Waterloo students, we are open to everyone as long as they meet our eligibility requirements.

How long does the tax filing process take?

Generally it takes around 30-45 minutes to prepare your return, but if you have a more complicated situation, it may take longer. It is also heavily impacted by how organized you are. If you have all your documents available and organized, filiing your return becomes a much quicker process.

Do you require physical slips, or are digital slips okay?

Digital is fine, as long as you are able to provide the information when requested. We suggest you download everything onto a USB/folder in advance so that you don't waste time searching for documents while we file your tax return.

I only came to Canada in December/I don't have any income/ Do I have to file a tax return?

You are only required to file a tax return if the CRA requests you to or if you owe money to them. Technically if you expect a refund, you are not required to file a tax return.

It is generally in your best interest to file a tax return as you will receive:

1) A net refund of any excess withholdings from your paycheque if any;

2) Potential low income benefits such as the Ontario Trillium Benefit or the GST/HST Credit (which can add up to $1,200);

3) The ability to carry forward tuition tax credits, which can reduce future tax bills by $0.15 per $1 of tuition paid; and

4) Become eligible for income tested funding, such as the Ontario Electricity Support Program, some provincial grants, mortgages, or other debt products.

Can you please send me a copy of my tuition slip/T2200?

We cannot provide this information as we are not representatives of the University of Waterloo nor we do have access to their information systems. Please contact a school representative to get this information.

I don't have all my documents at the moment, can we just file part of my tax return now and I'll do the rest later?

In order to complete a tax return, all documents must be available to you at time of filing. We cannot file a tax return for you if you are aware that you are missing documents. It is also not possible to partially file a tax return.

I don't have my T4, but I have a paystub, is that a suffient replacement?

No, your T4 may include information that your paystub does not, including taxable benefits. If you are employed, you must have your T4 available.

I don't have my rent receipts at the moment, is that okay?

If you know exactly how much you pay in rent, then for the purposes of your tax return, we can input that information. However, please note that if CRA requests this information on review, you must provide them this information. A sample of a rent receipt is available in the Post Filing Page

I did a little bit of Uber/DoorDash work, is that okay?

For tax purposes this is considered self-employment income. Unfortunately, we are unable to assist with returns that include self-employment income.