Virtual self-assisted tax filing: Learnings from a program pilot

During 2020, alternative approaches to the traditional community tax clinic model have become even more valuable as COVID-19 lockdown measures prevented in-person program delivery. In response to the growing demand for alternative ways to deliver tax-filing support, Prosper Canada partnered with Intuit Canada and three community organizations in Ontario to pilot a virtual tax-filing model that empowers individuals to complete their tax return themselves. The pilot was supported by tax experts and volunteers who helped guide individuals through the TurboTax for Tax Clinics Canada software.  

The webinar speakers are:

  • Ana Fremont (Prosper Canada)
  • Guy Labelle, (Intuit/TurboTax)
  • Ansley Dawson (Woodgreen Community Services, Toronto)
  • Marc D’Orgeville, (EBO, Ottawa) 

This webinar is ideally suited for frontline practitioners exploring alternate ways to deliver tax-filing support to vulnerable Canadians. 

Click 'Get it' below to access the video link, and scroll down to access handouts, slides, and video timestamps for this webinar.



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Download the handout for this webinar: Process map: Virtual Self-File model overview

Time-stamps for the video recording:
4:01 – Agenda and introductions
5:59 – Audience polls
10:27 – Project introduction (Speaker: Ana Fremont, Prosper Canada)
14:31 – Tour of TurboTax for Tax Clinics (Speaker: Guy Labelle, Intuit)
17:59 – Woodgreen project pilot (Speaker: Ansley Dawson, Woodgreen Community Services)
27:35 – EBO 2-step process (Speaker: Marc D’Orgeville, EBO)
39:26 – Woodgreen program modifications (Speaker: Ansley Dawson, Woodgreen)
46:03 – Q&A


Delivering virtual tax clinics: How to prepare and steps to consider 

This tax season, community tax clinics across Canada will be preparing to support clients virtually rather than in person amidst physical distancing measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Adapting to a virtual tax clinic model means preparing for different ways of volunteer preparation, client outreach, and delivering one-on-one tax-filing help.

In this one-hour webinar, speakers from the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will share key considerations for Canadian practitioners operating tax clinics in 2021, as well as how to access CVITP program training and support.

This webinar is designed to support practitioners delivering community tax clinics in Canada.

Click 'Get it' below to access the video link, and scroll down to access handouts, slides, and video timestamps for this webinar.

Read the presentation slides for this webinar.

Time-stamps for the video recording:
3:46 – Agenda and introductions
6:21 – Audience polls
11:08 – CVITP program and recent changes
16:58 – CVITP volunteer training
26:58 – What’s new for 2021 and Virtual clinics
36:37 – Q&A

Building household financial security during COVID-19 and beyond

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, many Canadians were having difficulty making ends meet, and the pandemic has further impacted the financial well-being of financially vulnerable Canadians. 

In this webinar, we present research on how COVID-19 has impacted the financial security of Canadians and how additional financial challenges are likely to arise over the next year. The research was conducted in partnership with Prosper Canada by BCG’s Social Impact Ambassador program. The speakers are Common Good Founder Steven Ayer, BCG interns Abhijit Bhamidipati, Ada Kwong, and Brian Page, and Prosper Canada CEO Liz Mulholland.

This one-hour webinar is relevant for practitioners across all sectors who want to learn how Canadians are being financially impacted by COVID-19, and to share and learn what can be done in response. 

Click 'Get it' below to access the video link, and scroll down to access handouts, slides, and video timestamps for this webinar.

 



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Time-stamps for the video recording:
3:26 – Agenda and introductions
6:18 – Audience polls
10:39 – Research presentation begins (BCG and Steven Ayer)
36:18 – What Prosper Canada is doing (Liz Mulholland)
42:31 – Q&A


Service design done right

This one-hour webinar shares insights on why service design is so valuable for organizations and businesses, and what is involved in the service design process. The purpose of this webinar is to introduce you to what service design is, how it works, and what elements of service design you can take and apply to your own work.

The speakers are:

  • Minyan Wong and Bonnie Tang from Bridgeable
  • Trisha Islam from Prosper Canada

Click 'Get it' below to access the video link, and scroll down to access handouts, slides, and video timestamps for this webinar.



Read the presentation slides for this webinar:

Bridgeable’s handouts for this webinar:
Key takeaways for Service Design

Prosper Canada’s handouts for this webinar:
Benefits Screening Tool Phase 2 report
Pathways to benefits
Client Journey Map for ODSP application
Practitioner Workflows

Time-stamps for the video recording:
3:14 – Agenda and introductions
5:51 – Audience polls
9:19 – All about service design (Speaker: Glenna Harris)
11:00 – Bridgeable: Introduction to service design (Speakers: Bonnie Tang and Minyan Wong)
35:00 – Benefits Screening tool design process (Speaker: Trisha Islam)
50:20 – Q&A

Tax clinic planning for indigenous communities (2)


This webinar, "Planning a successful community tax clinic in Indigenous communities, Part 2," is the second in a 2-part series sharing information, community examples and promising practices with Ontario First Nation communities and Indigenous organizations to support the launch and planning of your own tax clinic that meets the needs of your community.

The speakers are:

  • Jocelyn Bebamikawe, Employment and Training Officer, Wii-ni n'guch-tood Employment & Training, Wikwemikong Unceeded Indian Reserve
  • Simon Brascoupé, Vice-President, Education and Training, AFOA Canada
  • Natasha McKenna, Program Officer, Prosper Canada
  • Jonathan Cheung and Vinoth Wimalanath, Canada Revenue Agency, Ontario Region

This is the webinar video recording. 

Read the presentation slides for the 'Tax clinic planning for indigenous communities' webinar.

 




Indigenous financial wellness in Canada


This webinar, "Indigenous financial wellness in Canada," introduces an Indigenous financial wellness framework, identifies some of the key barriers and opportunities for building financial wellness in Indigenous communities, and highlights evidence-based best practices for building financial wellness. The webinar focuses on promising practices and considerations for the implementation and delivery of community financial wellness services. The speakers are:

  • Elizabeth Mulholland, CEO of Prosper Canada 
  • Simon Brascoupé, Vice President, Education and Training of AFOA Canada. 

Read the presentation slides for this webinar.




Volunteer tax clinic insights in Canada


For Canadians living with low incomes, tax filing is an important opportunity to boost incomes by accessing a wide range of government benefits. In this webinar, "Insights on hosting volunteer income tax clinics," experts in Canada share their knowledge and practices on what it takes to host volunteer income tax clinics. The speakers are:

  • Nancy McKenna, CVITP/CRA
  • Lay Lee Lo and Irene Chan, Agincourt Community Services Association (ACSA), Ontario
  • Luc Stone, E4C, Alberta
  • Althea Arsenault, Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation (ESIC), New Brunswick. 

This is the video recording of the webinar.

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