The Stop works to increase our community’s access to good food with a variety of different approaches. But we know that the single most effective way to improve a person’s food security is to improve their access to income.

Every year, 30% of people accessing Employment Insurance and 97% of people experiencing homelessness aren’t able to file their tax returns, and miss out on millions of dollars in eligible benefits as a result.

Would you like support filing your taxes? Join The Stop’s virtual tax clinic!

Just drop off your documents and a volunteer will call you back to assist in filing. There are two drop-off locations:

• Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am-1pm at 1884 Davenport Road. Come to the back of the building and knock for service. This is a drop-in service, with no appointments on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Wednesdays from 10am-1pm at 729 St. Clair West. Speak with the Community Advocates outside. Again, first-come, first-served.

If you do not have access to a phone, or have mobility issues, contact Roxanne Futia directly to facilitate the service remotely. Roxanne can be reached at roxanne@thestop.org or 647-410 -3770.

Eligibility criteria is as follows:

• A simple tax situation
• A low or moderate income (for example, $40k or less for a single individual – call/email for more details)
• Cannot have declared bankruptcy in the last three years, or have self-employment or income as a contractor.
• Unfortunately we cannot prepare taxes for those without status in Canada.

Common information that may be needed:

• T4/T5 slips
• photo ID
• rental receipt
• social insurance number

If you need help accessing your forms, we can assist with this as well. We can file for up to 10 previous years of missed taxes.