Hey 905 fam,
If you haven't filed your 2025 taxes yet, this is your wake-up call.
**📅 The deadline is April 30, 2026.**
And here's the thing — filing your taxes isn't just about what you owe. For most 905 families, **it's how you GET PAID.** There are 41 income benefits in Ontario that you can only access by filing your taxes. Skip filing, and you get none of them.
We're talking about:
- 👶 **Canada Child Benefit** — up to $7,997/year per child under 6
- 🧾 **GST/HST Credit** — up to $519/year (single) or $680 (couple)
- 🌸 **Ontario Trillium Benefit** — up to ~$1,481/year
- 💼 **Canada Workers Benefit** — up to $1,518 (single) or $2,616 (family)
- 👴 **Guaranteed Income Supplement** — up to $1,086/month for seniors
**No tax return = none of this money.** CRA doesn't know you exist until you file. Even if you earned $0 in 2025, you need to file.
## 💻 Option 1: Do It Yourself Online (Free, 30 Minutes)
### Wealthsimple Tax — Best Free Option
- **Cost:** $0 for all returns (they ask for an optional donation at the end — you can skip it)
- **What it does:** Walks you through everything, auto-fills from CRA if you link your account, finds every credit and deduction
- **Works for:** Employment income, pensions, T4s, T5s, RRSP contributions, medical expenses, Ontario Trillium (ON-BEN form included)
- **Doesn't work for:** Self-employed with complex business expenses, rental properties, capital gains (for those, consider paid software or an accountant)
✅ → [wealthsimple.com/tax](https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-ca/tax)
### Other Free Software
- **TurboTax Free** — free for simple returns, but upsells aggressively. Watch for prompts trying to get you to upgrade.
- **H&R Block Free** — free online edition for simple returns
- **GenuTax** — free Canadian tax software, desktop-based
### 🆕 CRA SimpleFile
The CRA now offers **SimpleFile** — a free service for people with lower income and simple tax situations. If you're eligible, you may have received an invitation by mail or in your CRA My Account. It's basically a streamlined version of filing — answer a few questions and you're done.
## 🏛️ Option 2: Free Tax Clinics in Durham Region (Someone Does It For You)
Through the **Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP)**, certified volunteers will prepare and e-file your taxes at no cost. This is a real, government-backed program run through local organizations and libraries across Durham.
### 🎯 Who's Eligible for Free Clinics?
**Income thresholds (total family income):**
- 1 person: up to $40,000
- 2 people: up to $55,000
- 3 people: up to $60,000
- 4 people: up to $65,000
- 5 people: up to $70,000
- 5+ people: $70,000 plus $5,000 per additional person
**Your tax situation must be "simple"** — meaning your income comes from things like employment, pensions, benefits (CPP, EI, CCB, OW), RRSP, support payments, scholarships, or interest under $1,000.
**🚫 NOT eligible if you're:** self-employed, have rental/business income, have capital gains/losses, filing for bankruptcy, or filing for a deceased person.
### 📍 Where to Go
**AJAX**
🏫 **Ajax Public Library** — 55 Harwood Avenue South
- March 1 – April 30, 2026
- By appointment only, current year
- 📞 905-683-4000
- ✉️ [email protected]
🚉 **Ajax Welcome Centre** — 458 Fairall Street, Unit 5 (east side of Ajax GO Station)
- Fridays and Saturdays, February 24 – April 30, 2026
- By appointment (drop-off and virtual)
- Current and prior years
- 🌍 Languages: English, Dari, Farsi, Gujarati, Hindi, Pashto, Urdu
- 📞 647-925-8929 ext. 223 or 905-686-2661
💻 **CADJPro Tax Clinic** — 157 Harwood Avenue North, Unit 224, Ajax
- Virtual, runs year-round
- By appointment, current and prior years (back to 2011)
- 📞 647-762-2235
**OSHAWA**
📚 **Oshawa Public Libraries** — Jess Hann Branch and McLaughlin Branch
- March – April 2026
- In-person only, by appointment
- 📞 905-579-6111 ext. 5810 or ext. 5200
- ⚠️ Spaces are limited
🛡️ **Salvation Army Oshawa** — Virtual CVITP Clinic
- March 2 – April 25, 2026 (or until capacity is full)
- Virtual only
**OTHER DURHAM MUNICIPALITIES**
For clinics in **Whitby, Pickering, Clarington, Scugog, Uxbridge,** and **Brock**, visit the Region's full list:
✅ → [durham.ca/FileYourTaxes](https://www.durham.ca/en/living-here/file-your-taxes.aspx)
New clinics are added regularly. Check the page even if you looked before.
## 🔄 Option 3: CRA Auto-Fill (Use With Any Software)
If you have a **CRA My Account**, you can use Auto-Fill to pull your tax slips directly from CRA into your tax software. No hunting for T4s. No manual entry.
**How to set it up:**
1. Log in to [My CRA Account](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/digital-services-individuals/account-individuals.html)
2. In your tax software (Wealthsimple, TurboTax, etc.), look for "Auto-Fill" or "Import from CRA"
3. Authorize the connection
4. Your slips appear automatically
If you've never set up a CRA My Account, do it now. You'll need it anyway to check your benefit payments and direct deposit info.
## 🪪 Don't Have ID? Durham Can Help With That Too
You need a Social Insurance Number (SIN) to file taxes. If you don't have one — or don't have a birth certificate to get one — Durham has free ID clinics:
- **Whitby, Oshawa, Clarington:** John Howard Society offices — last Monday of each month, 8:30–11am. Bring a completed birth certificate application and proof of income.
- **Ajax and Pickering:** Community Development Council Durham (CDCD) — every Thursday. 📞 905-686-2661 ext. 147.
- **Uxbridge, Scugog, Brock:** North House — year-round. 📞 289-640-1929 or 705-432-8654 ext. 103.
## 📋 What You Need to Bring (Checklist)
Whether you're filing yourself or going to a clinic, gather these:
- ☐ Social Insurance Numbers for you (and spouse, if filing together)
- ☐ T4 slips (employment income)
- ☐ T5 slips (investment/interest income, if any)
- ☐ T4A slips (pension, scholarships, other income)
- ☐ T4E slip (Employment Insurance)
- ☐ RRSP contribution receipts
- ☐ Charitable donation receipts
- ☐ Medical expense receipts (dental, prescriptions, glasses, etc.)
- ☐ Rent paid in 2025 (total amount — you need this for the Ontario Trillium Benefit)
- ☐ Property tax paid in 2025 (if you own)
- ☐ Childcare receipts (for the Child Care Expense Deduction)
- ☐ Previous year's Notice of Assessment (helpful but not required)
## ⚠️ The 3 Mistakes That Cost 905 Families the Most Money
**Mistake #1: Not filing at all**
"I didn't earn much, so why bother?" Because CRA doesn't send you CCB, Trillium, GST credit, or any other benefit unless you file. Even with $0 income — file.
**Mistake #2: Skipping Form ON-BEN**
This is the Ontario-specific form that triggers the Trillium Benefit. If your tax software asks about rent paid or property tax and you click "skip" — you just left up to $1,481 on the table. Don't skip it.
**Mistake #3: Only one spouse filing**
Both spouses/common-law partners must file for the household to receive full CCB and other family benefits. If only one of you files, your payments may be reduced or stopped entirely.
## 🗓️ Key Dates
- 📅 **Now – April 30:** Free tax clinics running across Durham Region
- 📅 **April 30, 2026:** Filing deadline for most individuals
- 📅 **June 15, 2026:** Filing deadline for self-employed (but any taxes owed are still due April 30)
- 📅 **July 2026:** New Trillium Benefit payments begin based on your 2025 return
- 📅 **July 2026:** New CCB amounts kick in based on your 2025 return
## ✅ 3 Things To Do This Week
1. **Haven't filed yet?** Go to [Wealthsimple Tax](https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-ca/tax) right now. It's free. It takes 30 minutes.
2. **Prefer someone to do it?** Book an appointment at your local library or tax clinic. [Find one here](https://www.durham.ca/en/living-here/file-your-taxes.aspx).
3. **Forward this to someone who hasn't filed.** You'd be surprised how many people don't — and how much money they're missing.
⚠️ **Both spouses need to file.** Even the one with no income.
⚠️ **Don't skip Form ON-BEN.** Check the box for rent paid. Enter the total. That's how you get the Trillium Benefit.
Know someone who hasn't filed their taxes yet? Forward this — they'll thank you in July when the payments start hitting.
Got a question about filing? Reply to this email. We read everything.
Until next time,
**The 905 Saver** 💰
*Saving Durham Region families real money, every week.*
*Sources: Region of Durham ([durham.ca/FileYourTaxes](https://www.durham.ca/en/living-here/file-your-taxes.aspx)), Canada Revenue Agency (CVITP), Oshawa Public Libraries. Information verified April 2026.*
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