Making tax time less taxing

IQALUIT — Tax-time is coming, but before you start tearing your hair out, take heart: the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency will be opening an office in Iqaluit this year to help Nunavummuit get answers to questions about their income taxes.

The office, slated to open the week of March 19, will serve as a drop-in centre, where residents can receive information about tax issues and pick up forms.

Also, the agency will once again be recruiting and training volunteers to help other Nunavut residents do their taxes.

The training will be held at Arctic College in Iqaluit in late March. For volunteers who’ve worked with the program before, the training will take about two hours. For novices it will be an all-day session.

Though Revenue Canada does not print tax forms or information in Inuktitut, Chris Kealey, a spokesperson for the agency, said he is not aware of tax compliance being lower in Nunavut than elsewhere in Canada.

Nunavummuit with questions about their income taxes can call (800) 959-8281 for help in English, (800) 959-7383 for help in French, or check the Revenue Canada website at www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca.