Webinar Transcript

Slide 1 - Taxes and benefits for Indigenous Peoples

[Nicole]: Hello, and welcome.

My name is Nicole, and my pronouns are she/her. I have blond hair, black rimmed glasses, and I’m wearing an orange shirt.

I’m with the Canada Revenue Agency, or CRA for short.

I’m happy to be here today to talk to you about the benefit and credit payments available for Indigenous Peoples and explain why doing your taxes each year is important to ensuring you continue to get them.

[Visual]: Two adults and two young children, sitting on a couch with a baby and a book.

Slide 2 – Land Acknowledgement

[Nicole]: I would like to begin by acknowledging that I am on the traditional lands, referred to as Treaty 6 Territory and all the people here are beneficiaries of this peace and friendship treaty. Treaty 6 encompasses the traditional territories of numerous Canadian First Nations, including Cree, Dene Niisitapi, Métis, Saulteaux, Ojibwe, and Stoney Nakota Sioux Peoples.

Given that we’re meeting virtually, I also want to acknowledge the lands where you are gathered from coast to coast to coast and invite you to take a moment of silence to think about the territory where you are.

[Visual]: An eagle, narwhal and fiddle icon.

Slide 3 - Overview

[Nicole]: Now, let’s get started.

Today, we will discuss:

• What tax exemption is and who is eligible
• Benefits and credits, such as the Canada child benefit and GST/HST credit
• The disability tax credit
• The Northern residents deductions and how to claim them
• Ways to do your taxes

We will also talk about a simplified tax and benefit package that helps Indigenous Peoples do their taxes and apply for benefits.

And, we’ll go over the importance of keeping your personal information updated with the CRA.

Finally, we will explore the CRA’s digital services, including how to protect yourself from scams, and where you can go to learn more about taxes.

[Visual]: A close-up of an individual smiling.

Slide 4 - Tax exemption and who is eligible

[Nicole]: For tax exemption purposes under Section 87 of the Indian Act, the CRA uses the term “Indian” because it carries legal meaning.

This term applies to First Nations people who are registered or entitled to be registered under the Indian Act. They are commonly referred to as Status Indians.

First Nations people with income connected to property on a reserve may qualify for tax exemption under Section 87.

That exemption applies to income earned on a reserve or that is considered to be earned on a reserve, as well as goods bought on or delivered to a reserve.

If your income is not related to a reserve, you follow the same tax rules as all other Canadian taxpayers.

[Visual]: Two adults and two young children, sitting on a couch with a baby and a book.

Slide 5 - What is tax-exempt income?

[Nicole]: Some or all of your employment income may be tax-exempt, depending on:

• whether you are registered or entitled to be registered under the Indian Act;
• where you live;
• where your employer is based;
• where you perform most of your work; and
• whether you do non-commercial work for certain Indian organizations.

For more information and examples, go to canada.ca/taxes-guidelines-indigenous.

Slide 6 - Tax-exempt and non-exempt income

[Nicole]: If you are Status Indian and work on a reserve, your employment income, along with related benefits like employment insurance may also be exempt from taxes under Section 87 of the Indian Act.

Some of these sources include:

• Employment Insurance benefits
• Canada Pension Plan benefits
• Quebec Pension Plan benefits
• Registered Pension Plan benefits
• Retiring allowances; and,
• Wage-loss replacement plan benefits.

However, some income is not tax-exempt and considered off-reserve. This includes payments that are either not related to any previous employment or are not considered to have any connection to a reserve in Canada.

Non-tax-exempt income includes:

• Old age security and the guaranteed income supplement, since they are not tied to reserve-based work; and
• U.S. social security benefits and pensions

If you would like more details, visit canada.ca/section87-tax-exemption.

Slide 7 - Get the benefits and credits you may be eligible for!

[Nicole]: Life is expensive. Benefit and credit payments can make a difference by helping you pay rent, buy groceries, and get childcare.

Even if your income is tax-exempt or you have no income, it is important to do your taxes every year.

If you’re married or in a common-law relationship, your partner also needs to file their taxes.

The CRA uses information from your tax return to calculate your payments.

You may be eligible for:

• the Canada child benefit;
• the goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax credit, also known as the GST/HST credit;
• the Canada workers benefit;
• the Canada Carbon Rebate;
• the disability tax credit, and/or
• the child disability benefit.

You may also be eligible for related federal, provincial, or territorial payments.

I will go over the CRA benefits and credits in my presentation. More information can be found at canada.ca/every-dollar-counts.

[Visual]: An individual holding a child.

Slide 8 - Canada child benefit

[Nicole]: Let’s begin with the Canada child benefit, commonly known as the CCB.

This benefit is a tax-free monthly payment made to the primary caregiver of children under 18. It helps with the cost of raising them.

The primary caregiver should apply for the CCB. They are the person who is mostly responsible for the day-to-day care of the child.

This could be the child’s mother, father, grandparent, another family member, or someone else who is responsible for the child’s care and upbringing.

Each year, the CCB may provide up to $7,787 for each child under 6, and up to $6,570 for each child aged 6 to 17. Payment amounts are based on the number of children in your care, their ages, your household income, and your marital status.

The CRA calculates benefit payments for every July based on information from each parent’s and/or their common-law partner’s tax return from the year before.

This is why it’s important for all individuals to do their taxes on time every year, even if they have no income or their income is tax-exempt.

If you don't file your tax return every year, or are late filing, any benefit and credit payments you are eligible for will stop.

[Visual]: A baby being held by an individual.

Slide 9 - Are you eligible for the Canada child benefit?

[Nicole]: To be eligible for the CCB, you must meet all the following conditions:

• You must live with the child, and the child must be under 18.
• You must be primarily responsible for the care and upbringing of the child.
• And, you must be a resident of Canada for tax purposes.

You or your spouse or common-law partner must also be one of the following:

• a Canadian citizen
• a permanent resident
• a protected person
• a temporary resident who has lived in Canada for the previous 18 months, and who has a valid permit in the 19th month, or
• an individual who is registered, or entitled to be registered, under the Indian Act.

You are primarily responsible for the care and upbringing of the child if you:

• supervise the child’s daily activities and needs
• make sure the child’s medical needs are met, and
• arrange for childcare when necessary.

You may be eligible for the CCB if you live with and care for a child under a kinship or close relationship program from governing bodies in Canada at the provincial, territorial, or Indigenous levels. For example, a child may be placed in the care of a grandparent, an extended family member, or a close friend without being brought into the legal custody and guardianship of the province or territory.

However, you are not considered the person primarily responsible if the child is legally, physically, and financially maintained by a child welfare agency. In that case, the agency may receive the children’s special allowance for the child’s care.

Slide 10 - When should you apply for the Canada child benefit?

[Nicole]: You need to apply for all children in your household if you haven’t applied before and nobody is receiving the CCB for them.

Apply as soon as a child is born, starts living with you, or you or your spouse or common-law partner meet the eligibility conditions. The sooner you apply, the sooner you’ll start receiving payments.

You should apply even if you share custody of a child, or the child is living with you temporarily or part-time.

If the child started living with you more than 11 months ago, you will need to provide additional documents.

For a complete list of supporting documents, go to canada.ca/child-benefits-supporting-documents.

You don't need to apply separately for related provincial and territorial programs. The CRA will determine your eligibility when you apply for the CCB.

Slide 11 - Ways to apply for the Canada child benefit

[Nicole]: If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can apply in one of these ways:

1. You can use the Automated Benefits Application when you register your newborn’s birth with your province or territory. You can consent to securely sharing the information on your birth registration form with the CRA. This service is not available in Nunavut;
2. You can use the Apply for child benefits feature in the CRA’s online portal, My Account;
3. You can fill out Form RC66, Canada child benefit application, and send it to the CRA; or
4. You can use the Canada child benefit for Indigenous Peoples form, which is part of the "Let us help you get your benefits!" Credit and benefit short return.

Consider using My Account or the Automated Benefits Application to avoid potential delays with mail.

If you apply in My Account or by mail, you will need to provide proof of your child’s birth. This could be a birth certificate or passport.

You should only apply once. Re-applying using a different method may cause your payments to be delayed.

You don’t have to re-apply every year, but you and your spouse or common-law partner, must do your taxes every year.

If you have another child after you’ve applied, you will need to apply for that child and any subsequent children.

Also, if you were eligible for the CCB for prior years and had not applied previously, you can request a retroactive payment for a period of up to 10 years.

Slide 12 - Shared custody and your payments

[Nicole]: Because filing taxes ensures access to benefit and credit payments, it’s also important to understand how specific situations, such as shared custody, can affect certain benefit and credit payments, like the Canada child benefit.

Let’s look at this closely.

A child is considered in shared custody if they live with you and another person at least 40% of the time. Each person in shared custody receives 50% of the CCB payment based on their income.

If the child lives with you more than 60% of the time, you are considered to have full custody for the purposes of the CCB.

If you have full custody, or temporary custody for certain periods, your CCB payment may reflect that timeframe.

Changes in custody can sometimes be temporary. For example, if the child usually lives with one individual, but goes to live with another individual for the summer. In these cases, the individual that gets custody on a temporary basis can apply to get CCB payments for that period.

When the child returns to live with the other individual, that person needs to reapply to start getting payments again.

You are not considered the person who is primarily responsible if the child is legally, physically, or financially maintained by a child welfare agency. If this is the case, the agency may receive the children’s special allowance for their care.

Slide 13 - Child disability benefit

[Nicole]: The child disability benefit is for families caring for a child under 18 who is eligible for the CCB and the DTC. It is a tax-free payment of up to $3,322 annually per eligible child.

If you receive the CCB for a child who is eligible for the DTC, you do not need to apply. It will be automatically paid monthly to the person who receives the CCB for that child. To continue receiving these benefit payments, you must remain eligible for the CCB, and your child must also remain eligible for the DTC.

Every July, your CCB and CDB payments are recalculated based on information from each primary caregiver’s tax return from the year before.

To avoid delays or interruption of your benefit payments, you need to do your taxes on time every year, even if you had no income or your income was tax exempt.

For more information on this benefit, visit canada.ca/child-disability-benefit.

[Visual]: A child laughing with other people behind him.

Slide 14 - GST/HST credit

[Nicole]: One of the most common credits is the goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax credit, commonly known as the GST/HST credit.

The GST/HST credit is a tax-free payment made four times a year, for people with low and modest incomes. It helps offset the GST or HST they pay on goods and services.

To get it, do your taxes every year, even if you had no income. The CRA will use this information to confirm whether you are eligible and for how much.

Single people can receive up to $519 per year. While those married or common-law can receive up to $680. And, up to $179 per year may be paid for each child under 19.

If you are married or have a common-law partner, only one of you will receive the GST/HST credit. The amount will be the same no matter who gets it.

You are generally eligible for the GST/HST credit if you are at least 19.

• If you are under 19, you must meet at least one of the following conditions during the same period:
  • you have, or had, a spouse or common-law partner; and/or
  • you are, or were, a parent and live, or lived, with your child.

[Visual]: An individual using their laptop outside on a table.

Slide 15 - Canada workers benefit

[Nicole]: The Canada workers benefit, or CWB for short, is a refundable tax credit for those working and earning a low income.

It’s money to help with the rising cost of living.

It has two parts:

1. a basic amount; and
2. a disability supplement for those with an approved disability tax credit certificate.

For single people, the maximum basic amount is $1,590 a year.

For families, the maximum basic amount is $2,739 a year.

The maximum CWB amount is different for residents of Alberta, Nunavut, and Quebec.

[Visual]: An individual in a white apron.

Slide 16 - Eligibility for the Canada workers benefit

[Nicole]: Let’s look into the eligibility for the Canada workers benefit.

In addition to having earned working income, you must:

• be a resident of Canada for income tax purposes throughout the year, and
• be 19 or older on December 31.

However, you may be eligible for the CWB if you are under 19 and lived with your spouse or common-law partner, or your child, on December 31.

Slide 17 - Eligibility for the Canada workers benefit ̶̶ Continued

[Nicole]: You cannot claim the Canada workers benefit:

• if you were enrolled as a full-time student at a designated educational institution for a total of more than 13 weeks in the year, unless you had an eligible dependant at the end of the year;
• if you were confined to a prison or similar institution for a period of at least 90 days during the year;
• or, if you don’t have to pay tax in Canada because you are an officer or servant of another country, such as a diplomat, or you are a family member or employee of such a person.

To claim, your adjusted net income can’t be more than $36,749 for individuals, or more than $48,093 for families.
If you are married or common-law, only one of you will receive the CWB for your family.

Slide 18 - Canada Carbon Rebate

[Nicole]: Just like the GST/HST credit, you may be eligible for the Canada Carbon Rebate when you turn 19.

This is a tax-free payment made four times a year, and it helps offset the cost of federal pollution pricing. The amount you receive depends on your family situation and the province you live in.

It’s available to residents of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island. It consists of a basic amount and a supplement for residents of small and rural communities.

To claim the rural supplement, you and your spouse or common-law partner must tick the box in your tax software or on page 2 of your income tax and benefit return.

As the rural supplement is already included in the basic amount for Prince Edward Island, individuals from that province don’t have to claim it on their tax return.

And, that’s it for the benefit payments we’re discussing today. Next, we’ll talk about tax credits.

[Visual]: An individual sitting on the floor with two children, writing on a book.

Slide 19 - Disability tax credit (DTC)

[Nicole]: The disability tax credit, or DTC for short, is a non-refundable tax credit.

It helps people with disabilities, or their supporting family members, reduce the amount of income tax they may have to pay.

By doing so, the DTC offsets some of the extra costs often experienced by persons with disabilities. Even if you do not have taxable income, there are other benefits to applying for the DTC.

Being approved can help you access other federal programs such as the child disability benefit, the registered disability savings plan, the Canada workers benefit disability supplement, and the multigenerational home renovation tax credit.

We will go over some of these programs in the next few slides.

For more information on the DTC, eligibility requirements, and steps on how to apply, go to canada.ca/disability-tax-credit.

[Visual]: An individual sitting in a greenhouse with a prosthetic leg.

Slide 20 - Registered disability savings plan (RDSP)

[Nicole]: Now that we covered the DTC and credits available for disability support, let’s take a quick look at long-term planning with a registered disability savings plan, or RDSP for short.

An RDSP helps those who are approved for the DTC save for their future. When you open a plan, you can apply for a Canada Disability savings grant and Canada disability savings bond.

The government will pay a maximum of $3,500 in matching grants per year, and up to $70,000 over the beneficiary's lifetime, which is until December 31 of the year they turn 49.

The plan beneficiary is the person who is approved for the DTC that will receive the money in the future.

For low and modest-income families, the government will also pay into the RDSP with the Canada disability savings bond of up to $1,000 per year for a maximum of $20,000 over the beneficiary’s lifetime.

No personal contributions are necessary. Once a plan is opened through a financial institution, bond payments will be automatically deposited into the RDSP of beneficiaries who meet the income threshold.

For more information, go to canada.ca/taxes-rdsp.

Slide 21 - Multigenerational home renovation tax credit

[Nicole]: The multigenerational home renovation tax credit is a refundable tax credit that you may be able to claim for certain renovation expenses spent to create a self-contained secondary unit.

The secondary unit must be for an adult 65 or older, or an adult who is eligible for the DTC, so they can live with a qualifying relative.

You can claim up to $50,000 in qualifying expenditures for each qualifying renovation completed. The tax credit is 15% of your costs, up to a maximum of $7,500, for each claim you are eligible to make.

For information on eligibility and a list of expenses you can claim, go to canada.ca/cra-mhrtc.

[Visual]: A family cooking dinner at a gathering. There older adults, younger adults, and children.

Slide 22 - Northern residents deductions

[Nicole]: In addition to the benefits and credits we covered today, you may also be eligible to claim the northern residents deductions.

These deductions include a residency deduction and a travel deduction. You must be living in a prescribed zone for at least six consecutive months beginning or ending in the tax year to qualify.

They help recognize the extra challenges of living in the North, such as a higher cost of living, environmental hardships, and limited access to services.

There are two parts to the residency deduction: a basic residency amount and an additional residency amount. Claim the basic residency amount for the number of days you lived in a prescribed zone.

You can also claim the same days for the additional residency amount if you maintained and lived in a dwelling in a prescribed zone and you are the only person claiming the basic residency amount for that same dwelling.

To claim this deduction, complete Form T2222, Northern Residents Deductions to calculate your northern residents deductions that you can claim on line 25500 of your tax return.

[Visual]: Screen shots of the T2222, Northern residents deductions form.

Slide 23 - Claiming the northern residents travel deduction

[Nicole]: If you are claiming the travel deduction, the maximum you can claim for each eligible trip is the lowest of:

• The taxable travel benefits received from employment or the portion of the $1,200 standard amount for the person travelling allocated for the trip.
• The total travel expenses paid for the trip. Or,
• The lowest return airfare, which refers to the cost of the cheapest round-trip airfare available when travel began, between the airport closest to the claimant’s residence and the nearest designated city.

Did you know that you can claim the travel deduction for you or your eligible family member’s personal or medical travel, even if no one received a taxable travel benefit for that trip and even if you do not claim a deduction for residency?

The family member must be someone that has lived with you at the time of the trip and is one of the following:

• your spouse or common-law partner;
• your or your spouse's or common-law partner's child under 18; or
• another individual who is wholly dependent on you, your spouse or common-law partner, or both for support, and who is either:
  • your or your spouse's or common-law partner's parent or grandparent; or
  • related to you and wholly dependent by reason of mental or physical infirmity.

Keep all receipts and documents for at least six years to support your claim, in case the CRA reviews your tax return. This includes the cost of the lowest return airfare, accommodation, meals, and transportation.

For more information on the northern residents deductions, how to claim it, and the lowest return airfare tables, visit canada.ca/taxes-northern-residents, or call the CRA at 1-800-959-8281. Residents of the territories, call 1-866-426-1527.

Now that you know what benefits and credits you may be eligible for, let’s talk about the next step: doing your taxes.

Slide 24 - Ways to do your taxes!

[Nicole]: There are a few ways to do your taxes.

The fastest and easiest way is to do them online. If you are eligible, you can use certified software or a web application.

Some certified software is even free. The software guides you through the process, calculates everything, and helps make sure you don’t miss out on any benefits and credits.

If you have a modest income and a simple tax situation, a volunteer may be able to do your taxes for you at a free tax clinic.

You can also get help from a family member, a friend, or a tax preparer.

Finally, you can do them on paper by downloading a tax package for your province or territory, filling out the forms on a computer or by hand, and mailing them to the CRA.

To find out more, visit canada.ca/taxes-get-ready.

Slide 25 - Simplified tax and benefit package for Indigenous Peoples

[Nicole]: Another option for Indigenous Peoples is the simplified tax and benefit package. The CRA offers this service to make filing taxes easier and give you quicker access to services.

This package includes two forms, an information sheet, and a return envelope.

The first form is the Let us help you get your benefits! – Credit and benefit short return.

This form is a shorter version of the individual income tax and benefit return. It gives the CRA the information it needs to calculate your credit and benefit payments, like the GST/HST credit, the Canada workers benefit, and related provincial and territorial credits.

The second form is the Canada child benefit for Indigenous Peoples form.

To use the simplified return and CCB application, you must meet the eligibility criteria listed on the form. These forms will be available in the spring by contacting your local friendship centre, band council office, or northern service centre.

If they don’t have any forms available, they can order them for you.

You can call the number on the form if you need help or have questions.

Note that forms vary from province or territory. The form on the screen is from Ontario.

[Visual]: Image of the Ontario, Simple File: "Let us help you get your benefits - Credit and benefit short return 2024".

Slide 26 - Free tax help

[Nicole]: As I mentioned, you may be able to get your taxes done by a volunteer for free!

The program is called the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program. In Quebec, it’s known as the Income Tax Assistance – Volunteer Program.

You’re eligible to have your taxes done through the program if you have a modest income and a simple tax situation.

Generally, a modest income is less than $35,000 for a single person and less than $45,000 for a couple. Your tax situation is simple if, for example, you don’t have a business or income from a rental property.

Tax clinics are held all year. However, most clinics are offered in March and April.

In addition to free tax clinics, the CRA participates in super clinics.

These clinics make it easier to access multiple services in one place, at one time, and at no cost.

Participating organizations can be federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal government departments.

Or, they can be First Nation community partners, organizations supporting Indigenous Peoples, and health organizations.

Services offered may include income tax filing and assistance applying for CRA benefits and credits.

For more information, or to find a clinic, go to canada.ca/taxes-help.

[Visual]: The logo for the community volunteer income tax program.

Slide 27 - Need help?

[Nicole]: Sometimes you might need extra help to do your taxes.

The CRA needs your permission to deal with another person who may act as your representative for income tax and benefit matters. This could be a family member, a friend, or an accountant.

Form AUT-01, Authorize a Representative for Offline Access, allows you to authorize a representative to only have access to your account information by phone, by mail, by fax, and in person.

You can also add a representative to your account under "Authorized representative" from the "Profile" section in My Account.

This method provides online access. This is useful when your representative wants to submit documents electronically for you.

Make sure you choose someone you can trust! You don’t need to authorize someone as a representative if that person is only doing your taxes.

Slide 28 - Keep your personal information up to date

[Nicole]: Keeping your personal information up to date is essential when it comes to benefit and credit payments and receiving communications from the CRA.

This information includes your address, marital status, residency, citizenship status, children in your care, and direct deposit details.

You can update your information online using My Account, by mail, or an agent can assist you by phone.

Call the CRA general inquiries line at 1-800-959-8281.

Residents of the territories calling from the 867-area code can call 1-866-426-1527.

If your personal information is outdated, your payments could stop.

Slide 29 - My Account for individuals

[Nicole]: One of the most effective ways to ensure your information is current, is through My Account.

This online portal lets you manage your tax and benefit affairs online quickly, conveniently, and securely.

You can update your personal information and track the status of applications, like the DTC or CCB, using the Progress Tracker.

You can also:

• Track your refund, view, or change your return.
• View your mail online, such as your notice of assessment.
• Check your benefit and credit payments and statements, and more.

To register, go to canada.ca/cra-sign-in-services.

[Visual]: Screenshot of the My Account overview page online.

Slide 30 – Digital Services

[Nicole]: In addition to My Account, there are many digital services available from the CRA.

Here are a few.

Auto-fill my return is a secure CRA service that automatically fills in parts of your tax return with information they have available at the time of your request. It makes it easier to do your taxes and helps prevent mistakes.

Direct deposit is a fast, reliable, and secure way for individuals to get payments on time from the CRA in the event of unforeseen circumstances, such as a natural disaster or an emergency.

Email notifications help prevent fraud. Email notifications from the CRA let you know when changes are made to your personal information in My Account or there is CRA mail to view online.

For more information on the CRA’s digital services, visit canada.ca/cra-digital-services.

Slide 31 - Have you received a letter from the CRA? Don’t worry!

[Nicole]: The CRA might send you a letter or questionnaire asking for more information to make sure you’re getting the right benefit and credit payments.

If you receive one, it’s important to respond right away. Don’t ignore it!

Often, the CRA will ask for documents to confirm that the CRA has the most up-to-date information for you, like your marital status, proof that you are the primary caregiver of a child or your address.

If you need more time to gather the documents or don’t understand what they’re asking for, just let the CRA know.

If you don’t respond, your benefit or credit payments will stop, and you may have to repay the payments you already received.

You can send any supporting information back to the address listed on the letter or through My Account.

[Visual]: An individual sitting on the floor looking over documentation.

Slide 32 - In a situation of abuse?

[Nicole]: The CRA understands the importance of getting benefit and credit payments, especially during times of stress and transition.

If you are facing an abusive or violent situation, including financial abuse, the CRA will help you continue to access these crucial financial supports.

You will never need to contact an abusive spouse or common-law partner to provide information to the CRA.

• If you are in a situation of abuse or violence and cannot get the requested documents, you can send any of the following:
• a copy of a restraining order or an order of protection
• a copy of a police report, or
• a letter from a trusted third party explaining your situation. For example, the letter can be from a member of:
  • a band council,
  • a shelter, or
  • the clergy.

After you’ve submitted any of the mentioned documents, no additional action is needed on your part, and your review will end.

Slide 33 - Northern Service Centres

[Nicole]: We will now shift our focus to the Northern Service Centres in the territories. These centres play a vital role in providing services tailored to the needs of the communities they serve.

The centres provide year-round support to individuals and businesses in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. These centres are located in the same building as Service Canada in Whitehorse, Yellowknife, and Iqaluit.

Employees operating from the centres provide support through outreach visits and in the centres by:

• directing clients to free tax clinics;
• directing clients to the Liaison Officer program, which is for small businesses and self-employed individuals;
• answering questions and distributing information on benefits and credits;
• assisting clients with CRA communications. For example, they can help them interpret letters from the CRA;
• and help clients access the CRA’s digital services. For example, they help clients get an access code for My Account, register for My Account, and submit documents online.

CRA employees at the Northern Service Centres cannot:

• complete income tax and benefit returns and forms;
• accept payments;
• receive and send mail, returns, documentation, or forms;
• provide bulk printout requests, for example, notices of assessment, to tax practitioners or specialists;
• or provide Problem Resolution Program services, such as requesting to expedite a case.

There is also a dedicated telephone line for residents of the territories, with an 867 area code.

They can call the individual and benefits enquiries line at 1-866-426-1527, or the business enquiries line at 1-866-841-1876.

Slide 34 - Be scam smart!

[Nicole]: To protect yourself from scams, it’s important to know when and how the CRA might contact you.

Here’s what you can do to be scam smart:

• Take a minute and question why the CRA needs your personal information.
• When in doubt, check My Account to see if you have mail or an amount owing. If you don’t, then make sure to delete the fraudulent communication you received.

You can also call the CRA to verify whether they are trying to reach you.

For more information, go to canada.ca/be-scam-smart.

You can also watch the Be Scam Smart webinar on our web page. I’ll provide more information on this shortly.

[Visual]: Screenshot of the Be Scam Smart webinar slide with the yellow triangle with exclamation point inside that reads: Some scams are easy to spot. Some are not.

Slide 35 - Want to learn more about taxes?

[Nicole]: We invite you to try out “Learn about your taxes.”

This self-directed online learning tool takes you through the purpose of taxes, completing a basic tax return, and more. It has exercises, quizzes, videos, and common tax terms.

And there are lesson plans for teachers and facilitators.

Go to canada.ca/learn-about-taxes to dive in.

[Visual]: Screenshot of the Learn about your taxes landing page on canada.ca.

Slide 36 - Let’s work together!

[Nicole]: Before we go, it’s important to highlight the CRA’s Outreach Program.

Through this program, outreach officers help bridge the gap between communities and the CRA.

Outreach officers can:

• Visit your community or organization to present an information session.
• Host a booth or deliver a presentation at an event you are organizing.
• Provide outreach products in 17 Indigenous languages.

To request a visit, go to canada.ca/cra-outreach.

Slide 37 – Thank you!

[Nicole]: And this is the end of our webinar.

For more information on any of the topics discussed today, visit canada.ca/taxes-benefits-indigenous.

If you’re looking for more information on any of the CRA benefits and credits, visit canada.ca/every-dollar-counts.

We also encourage you to visit our Upcoming Events page at canada.ca/cra-outreach-events to view past recordings and register for upcoming webinars.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for online, you can call the CRA at 1-800-959-8281. Residents with an 867 area code can call 1-866-426-1527.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech impairment and are registered with Canada Video Relay Service, you can call the CRA at 1-800-561-6393.

Stay connected by following us on social media: we are on X, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Thank you for joining us today! We hope it was helpful!

[Visual]: Logo X, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram