The EBO Center is proud to announce that it has received a start-up grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to implement a project aimed at centralizing information on Ottawa’s tax clinics. This project, although autonomous, is in direct support of the City’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, one of whose priorities is to improve the coordination of tax clinics.  

What are the objectives of the project?  

      1- Facilitate access to free tax services 

The project will make it easier for low-income people to find an appointment at one of the many free tax clinics, offering clear and accessible navigation. 

      2- Ease the administrative burden on clinics  

By reducing the volume of calls received by clinics for their tax services and, in some cases, by booking appointments directly for them.  

What does the project involve?  

During the 2025 tax season, the EBO Centre will collect and regularly update information on tax clinics. This data will then be made available to the public and to 211 (Eastern Ontario Community Navigation). This initiative will :  

  • prevent people from being referred to clinics that are no longer available or unsuitable for their situation (income, accessibility, location, etc.);  
  • provide detailed information on the documents they need to prepare their returns.  

Our long-term vision  

The ultimate goal is to centralize information on tax clinic availability in a single source, making it easy for Ottawa residents to find an appointment between February and April, until time slots run out.  

This project is part of the EBO Centre’s commitment to working with community organizations to improve the coordination of tax services and facilitate access to benefits for Ottawa’s vulnerable populations.  

For more information on the project  

You can contact Latifa Belarbi, Coordinator of Community Income Tax Projects, at 613 746-0400, ext. 1005, or at lbelarbi@centre-ebo.com.  

We look forward to continuing to support our community and offer concrete solutions for equity and inclusion. Please tell anyone who coordinates a free tax service in Ottawa about this project.