Legal Aid Clinic
Legal aid is provided each term by GSA-UW. Graduate students registered in the current academic term, and who have paid their GSA Advising Fees, may consult with our lawyer by attending the GSA Legal Aid Clinic. Graduate students are seen on a pre-scheduled time for a 15 minute consultation.
Please note: Immigration issues, student academic issues, or issues that are of a criminal nature are not eligible for consultation at the GSA Legal Aid Clinic.
Update
Our in-person Legal Aid Clinic service has been cancelled until the end of April 2020. Alternatively, emergency personal consultations of up to 15 minutes will be provided over the phone by our lawyer. We will provide a voucher to students who have paid their fees for this service.
Income Tax Aid
The GSA-UW hosts an Income Tax Aid Clinic for graduate students. The Tax Aid Clinics are held in March and April each year to help graduate students learn how to complete their income tax return forms. Consultations are provided for graduate students registered this term (GSA-UW members) and who have paid the GSA Advising Fees. Please note that the GSA-UW does not provide a tax filing service.
Income Tax Video Seminar for Graduate Students
A Tax Seminar is held for general information each March. This seminar will provide an overview of the income tax return submission process.
Update
Please note that our in-person Tax Seminar is cancelled for Winter 2020. Instead, our accountant has created a video seminar to provide graduates students with an introduction to filing taxes in Canada. The Income Tax video seminar is supplemented with a PowerPoint Presentation that you can download, print, and use to take notes as you complete the seminar.
This video seminar and PowerPoint Presentation is designed to introduce you to income tax in Canada with a focus on those tax issues most applicable to students. The video provides reference to two documents prepared by the Canadian tax authorities which further supplement the presentation. You are strongly encouraged to read these two documents.
After watching the video and reading the two documents, you should be somewhat comfortable with starting and hopefully completing and filling your tax return for 2019.
The GSA offers additional support if you feel the need to clarify specific issues regarding your tax return. This support is in the form of a series of personal consultation tax clinics that will occur between April and the end of May. Through a one-on-one 15 minute phone call with our accountant, you will be able to ask any further questions you may have.
Personal Consultations – By Appointment
Consultations with the GSA Accountant are scheduled approximately once a week in late March and April prior to the deadline for submitting income tax returns.
Update
Please note that our in-person consultations are cancelled for Winter 2020. Personal consultations will now be provided over the phone by our accountant.
Available Dates:
Thursday, March 26, 2020
Friday, April 3, 2020
Thursday April 9, 2020
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Thursday April 23, 2020
Thursday April 30, 2020
How to Book a Legal & Tax Aid Consultation
Appointments are made on a first-come, first-served basis and you will be booked for the next available appointment once you submit your request.
To schedule a legal or tax aid consultation, please submit an appointment request form.
Effective Fall 2019, members who opt-out of the Advising Services Fee are welcome to use GSA’s tax and legal advising services, but will be charged a $50/hr fee for service at the time of each appointment (subject to change without notice).