Our Tax AID program is seeking volunteer tax preparers!

Who We Are

Since 1977, Disability Alliance BC (DABC) has been a provincial, cross-disability voice in British Columbia. We champion issues impacting the lives of people with disabilities through our direct services, community partnerships, advocacy, research, and publications.

Our mission: to support people, with all disabilities, to live with dignity, independence, and as equal and full participants in the community.

Program Description

Tax AID DABC partners with the Together Against Poverty Society, the Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society, and the Active Support Against Poverty Society, to provide free support to people with disabilities across BC to file their taxes.

Job Description

DABC is seeking several volunteers who are passionate about community work to join our Tax AID program, year-round. Volunteers will work one-on-one to assist people with disabilities with their income taxes, with supervision of the Senior Tax Advocate. Volunteers will work remotely and will be able to set their own schedule.

Skills and Assets

Successful Volunteers must have:

• 2+ years of experience with client tax filling, including self-employment taxes
• Good computer and technology skills; (Microsoft Office Suite, experience working with UFile is an asset)
• Excellent attention to detail
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• A strong desire to help and serve our community of people with disabilities
• An ability to maintain strict confidentiality

Successful Volunteers must also be able to:

• Pass a Criminal Record Check
• Obtain an EFILE number (personal tax filings are current; no outstanding tax debt; not in bankruptcy)

Duties

• Complete income tax returns in accordance with Revenue Canada guidelines
• Report questions or concerns to the Income Tax Clinic supervisor

Benefits of Volunteering

• Help individuals get or maintain uninterrupted access to benefits and credits
• Give back to the community
• Increase personal tax knowledge
• Gain new skills and improve existing ones
• Receive training, support, and reference materials including free tax software

Training and Orientation

• Orientation to Tax AID DABC programs, policies, and procedures
• Canada Revenue Agency online webinars
• Virtual supervision by Income Tax Clinic supervisor

Application Deadline: rolling application until all spots are filled

DABC is an open and diverse organization that promotes inclusive hiring practices. We encourage applications from qualified applicants who identify as visible minorities, Indigenous persons, and of all sexual orientations, gender expressions and identities. People with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply.

If you are interested in applying, please submit a resume to Cynthia Minh, Director, Tax AID, cynthia@dabc.ca (Please indicate “Volunteer Tax Preparer” in the email subject line.

DABC has signed on to the following statement from the National Disability Network regarding Budget 2025.

You can also download the statement in English here and in French here.

For immediate release – Ottawa, November 6, 2025

Budget 2025 Leaves 27% of Canadians Without a Plan to Participate in the Economy

Budget 2025 takes some steps to improve access but fails to recognize the economic imperative of including people with disabilities in Canada’s economy. People with disabilities (27% of Canadians aged 15 and over) contribute as workers, entrepreneurs, and consumers, yet remain excluded from meaningful economic participation. This budget provides no clear roadmap to enable this participation, offers no new adequacy funding for the Canada Disability Benefit, and creates a potential risk to disability programs given significant savings targets at Employment and Social Development Canada.

What the budget includes

• Steps to ease benefit access, including simplified tax filing for low-income Canadians
• Measures to support Disability Tax Credit (DTC) medical certification
• Signals that the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) may become ‘exempt from income’ for qualifying for other benefits.
• Measures to address negative effects on the value of the DTC as a result of reductions to marginal tax rates

We are pleased with these measures which should reduce some access barriers. However, without adequate benefits and supports, people with disabilities cannot fully participate in the economy.

What’s missing and what’s at risk

• No commitment to increase the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB)
• ESDC directed to achieve significant savings with no clarity on which programs face cuts (creating potential risk to disability-related programs)
• Eligibility for the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) remains tied to the restrictive Disability Tax Credit (DTC)
• Major federal housing and infrastructure investments lack clear, measurable accessibility requirements

What the National Disability Network is calling for

The National Disability Network calls on the federal government to:

• Publish a plan for the Canada Disability Benefit outlining a clear timeline for a fully funded and adequate benefit
• Broaden CDB eligibility beyond the Disability Tax Credit through co-design with disability-led organizations
• Ensure provincial and territorial governments do not claw back the CDB by reducing provincial and territorial disability benefits, so people receive the full value of the CDB
• Embed measurable accessibility requirements across all major federal investments
• Clarify the impact of ESDC program reductions and consult disability-led organizations consistent with CRPD Article 4.3, and advance Articles 12 and 19 by protecting legal capacity and funding community-based supports

The Government of Canada cannot advance its growth and prosperity agenda – and Canada cannot reach its full economic potential – if people with disabilities continue to be undervalued and excluded.

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Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians
Canadian Association of the Deaf (CAD-ASC)
Autism Alliance of Canada | Alliance canadienne de l’autisme
Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf
Canadian Down Syndrome Society
CCRW
CNIB
Council of Canadians with Disabilities
Daily Bread Food Bank
Disability Without Poverty
Environmental Health Association of Canada
Environmental Health Association of Québec
L’Arche Canada
March of Dimes Canada
Muscular Dystrophy Canada
People First of Canada
Plan Institute
Realize Canada
Rick Hansen Foundation
Spinal Cord Injury Canada
Thunder Bay & District Injured Workers Support Group
Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility
Inclusion Canada
Independent Living Canada
Indigenous Disability Canada
Disability Alliance BC

About the National Disability Network

The National Disability Network (NDN) is a pan-Canadian coalition of over 40 member organizations committed to advancing inclusion, accessibility, and equity for people with disabilities in Canada. The NDN advocates for systemic change through collaborative policy development, government engagement, and community mobilization. It operates on the principle of “nothing about us, without us,” ensuring that people with disabilities are meaningfully involved in shaping the policies and programs that affect their lives.

Media contact

National Disability Network / Réseau national pour les personnes en situation de handicap
Email: info@nationaldisabilitynetwork.ca

Who We Are

Since 1977, Disability Alliance BC (DABC) has been a provincial, cross-disability voice in British Columbia. We are a non-profit, charitable organization that champion issues impacting the lives of people with disabilities. Our mission is to promote a more inclusive and equitable society for people with all disabilities through direct services, community partnerships, systemic advocacy, research, and publications. through our direct services, community partnerships, advocacy, research and publications.

Program Description

Tax AID is a DABC program that partners with the Together Against Poverty Society, the Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society, and the Active Support Against Poverty Society, to provide free support to people with disabilities across BC to file income taxes for current and previous years. In addition to simple tax filing, we help with self-employment income, outstanding amounts owed to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), applying for other tax related government programs/benefits, and matters related to financial literacy.

Job Description

DABC is seeking an advocate who is passionate about community work to join our Tax AID program. Under the supervision of the Tax AID Director, the Advocate will work one-on-one to assist people with disabilities with their income taxes and raise awareness about the program through strategic partnership and community outreach. The successful candidate will have other administrative responsibilities related to the program’s operations including developing and conducting workshops and participating in team meetings and training on an as needed basis.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Prepare and file accurate tax returns for current and previous years in compliance with CRA standards
• Liaise with clients and the CRA on specific issues related personal taxes
• Manage multiple client files simultaneously
• Report any questions or concerns to the Director
• Compile and organize client records
• Attend trainings to further develop accounting taxation knowledge as part of an ongoing professional development program

A successful applicant must

• Have more than 2 years of proven experience for clients using income tax preparation software (e.g., UFile) to prepare income tax returns
• Be able to work effectively with people with disabilities
• Possess a four-year undergraduate degree or equivalent work experience
• Meet the requirements to be a tax filer through CRA’s Community Volunteer Income Tax Preparation (CVITP) program
• Be self-motivated and adaptable and able to work effectively with a team
• Be detail-oriented and have excellent organizational skills
• Have strong verbal and written communication skills
• Understand the importance of preserving the confidentiality of sensitive client information
• Be computer literate and proficient with word-processing software, including the Microsoft Office Suite
• Be comfortable working in the office and remotely
• Be available for occasional travel to communities across Lower Mainland

The following are not required but would be assets to the position:

• Knowledge of tax law
• Volunteer or coordination experience with the Canadian Revenue Agency’s CVITP Program
• Working knowledge of income tax programs for people with disabilities including the Disability Tax Credit, Canada caregiver amount and other deductions
• Completion of an accounting or tax certificate or diploma/degree

Compensation: $46,400 annually

This position is for 32 hours (4 days) per week with the possibly to increase to 40 hours (5 days) per week at $58,000. Alternatively, this position is also open to candidates wishing to only work 24 hours (3 days) per week at $34,800 annually.

This position offers the following benefits after the successful completion of a three-month probationary period:

• 12 days of paid vacation annually
• 14 days of paid sick leave annually
• An hour paid lunch break each workday
• 100% of the cost of extended health and dental care benefit premiums, with additional mental health coverage
• A generous Health Spending Account program
• 2 weeks of paid time off during DABC’s annual holiday office closure in December (this is in addition to paid vacation time).

Working hours: The office hours at DABC are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

The position is located in Vancouver, on the Unceded, Traditional, and Ancestral Territories of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, and Squamish Peoples.

This position offers a hybrid work opportunity; the successful candidate may be required to work at the office (located in downtown Vancouver) one or two days a week, and at home the rest of the time. The position may also require occasional travel to other BC communities.

DABC is an open and diverse organization that promotes inclusive hiring practices. We encourage applications from qualified applicants who identify as visible minorities, Indigenous persons, and of all sexual orientations, gender expressions and identities. People with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply!

Importantly, we are looking for people who want to make a long term commitment to our organization and have a strong desire to assist people with disabilities.

To Apply:

Please submit a resume and brief cover letter addressed to Cynthia Minh (Director, Tax AID & Access RDSP at cynthia@dabc.ca using the subject heading “Job Application: Tax AID Advocate.” No phone calls please.

Applications are due no later than 4:30 p.m. on July 15, 2025. DABC welcomes all applications, however, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for an interview.