Library Helping The Mustard Seed By Hosting Its Free Super Tax Clinic

Medicine Hat Public Library is stepping up to help The Mustard Seed continue to provide a free income tax service for community members struggling with homelessness or poverty.

A Super Tax Clinic will take place at the library on April 7 from 1-4 p.m. 

The Mustard Seed, through a partnership with the Canada Revenue Agency’s Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, is able to file taxes for people year-round and periodically holds these Super Tax Clinics. Liz Ast, health & wellness supervisor at The Mustard Seed, says 11 people filed 67 years of taxes at the last clinic in January.

“It’s a lovely resource that makes accessing anything on your CRA profile really simple,” she says, “especially since many people file multiple years through this clinic, and so having access to CRA right in the room with us they can print off as many years as the person needs.”

Representatives from Service Canada are also on-site to help navigate government systems to get people the necessary tax information.

The clinic is open to more than just The Mustard Seed’s shelter clients. 

“Our aim is to support anybody in homelessness and poverty and that’s wide-reaching,” Ast says. “Certainly, if somebody is struggling with income at all or can’t afford whatever or finances are tricky we’ll help you with taxes and much more.”

Ast says it’s important to file your taxes so that you are eligible for benefits like the quarterly GST rebates and other benefits issued by the CRA.

“Even if you have no-income, do your taxes,” she says.

Four appointments are already booked on Monday and up to eight more are available.  If you are interested in the clinic email [email protected] or call 825-222-4747 for an appointment or more information. If you can’t attend on April 7, Ast says people can reach out anytime for support. 

Clinics previously took place at The Mustard Seed, but with the closure of the building on Allowance Avenue, the library agreed to host next week’s clinic.

Ast says she is grateful to the library for allowing The Mustard Seed to continue to offer these services to people adding “the library is number one in my good books.”

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