IGNITE Tax Clinic: what to expect

A guide for you to have a stress-free time filling out your taxes.

The winter semester has rolled in, bringing along the enchanting snow season, perfect for ice skating and skiing adventures.

But hold on, along with the snowy fun comes a flurry of assignments, projects and those inevitable sleepless nights juggling school and work. Before you know it, April hits, and tax season is back in action. No need to stress, though, the IGNITE Tax Clinic is here to lend a hand and make your tax afflictions a thing of the past!

We sat with our Career Success Assistant, Gino Lucente, to understand the details of what your experience will be like. Get ready because the Tax Clinic appointments kick off on Monday, Feb. 26, and we’ve got your reservations set a week ahead of your section.

Here’s the deal: the Tax Clinic will be open from Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Lakeshore Campus, K building, North Campus, KX Student Lounge – second floor, and virtually. The IGS campus will have the Tax Clinic available on three specific days – please check our website for more information. When you arrive at your preferred location, IGNITE staff will connect you with our volunteers, and the tax magic begins.

Lucente emphasized that the Tax Clinic is not just about getting your taxes done. Its main goal is to have our volunteers show you the ropes so you can start doing your taxes on your own.

Walk-ins are also available, but you might run into our volunteers with a full schedule. So we recommend that you book your spot in advance.

Now, let’s talk paperwork. Wondering what are some of the main documents you have to bring? Here’s the list:

T2202 Tuition and Enrolment Certificate

IGNITE Tax Clinic volunteer helping student to fill out their taxes. — Photo credits: IGNITE

The T2202 Tuition and Enrolment Certificate is a document issued by designated educational institutions to all students who have paid tuition and fees for their courses.

It’s important that you include this information, as you are eligible for a claim on the amount of money you paid for school.

In our case, this document is issued by Humber College and the University of Guelph-Humber. You can grab it from the MyHumber or the UofGH student portal.

T4 and T4A slips

IGNITE Tax Clinic volunteer using computer. — Photo credits: IGNITE

This part can sound confusing for some students, so keep up with me on this one!

The T4 and T4A slips are two different documents. If you are working, your employer will hand you the T4, which summarizes all the money you earned during a calendar year. On the other hand, the T4A is a statement of pension, retirement, annuity or other form of income – scholarships, bursaries and awards are also part of the T4A.

If Humber or UofGH are giving you any scholarships, bursaries or awards, they will issue the document and you can find it on the student portal.

SIN number

IGNITE Tax Clinic volunteer helping students to fill out their taxes. — Photo credits: IGNITE

The Social Insurance Number (SIN) is a nine-digit number that gives you permission to work and access government benefits in Canada.

Your SIN number is crucial for the IGNITE Tax Clinic. Make sure to double-check when filling out the nine digits, as that’s what identifies you for income tax purposes.

If you’re an international student and your SIN number isn’t on your study permit or work permit, you should have a separate document with your SIN information.

Banking information

Person seeing FAQ questions on UFile website. — Photo credits: IGNITE

Nobody wants their money going on a random adventure to someone else’s account, right? Definitely not!

For your IGNITE Tax Clinic appointment, don’t forget to bring your banking information and review it before filling out your taxes. Your transit number, institution number and account number can all be found on your bank’s mobile app.

The Canada Revenue Agency can send you payments by direct deposit or by cheque in the mail, so check your information in advance!

These are some of the main documents that you have to bring to your IGNITE Tax Clinic appointment. For the full lowdown, check out our checklist.

Separate your documents and mark your calendars! The IGNITE Tax Clinic appointments start on Monday, Feb. 26, and our volunteers will be ready to teach you how to properly fill out your taxes from March 4 to April 25.

If you are located at the IGS campus, your specific dates and times are described on our website.

Feature image courtesy of IGNITE

Still have questions about your taxes? We can help!