In the spring of 2024, when “Marlice,” a single mother of one, walked into the Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre, she simply expected to get some help filing her taxes. What she didn’t yet know was that this free service would help to change her life situation dramatically. 

Marlice had never filed taxes before, partly because she didn’t fully understand the process and felt apprehensive about it. With help from a reassuring volunteer from KPMG in Canada, a financial-services firm collaborating with Food Banks Canada, she found out she was eligible for enough tax credits to bring her a refund of more than $3,000. This unexpected windfall allowed her to pay off overdue bills and buy essential household items that she’d been putting off for months. 

What’s more, filing her taxes made Marlice eligible for certain ongoing government benefits, which have made it easier for her to put nutritious food on the table for herself and her child each day. 

“Now, she can focus more on her kid’s needs and less on where their next meal will come from,” said Jasleen Kaur, a program manager at the Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre, in a report to Food Banks Canada. “And this tax education empowered her in managing her finances.” 

“By providing immediate financial relief through tax refunds and longer-term stability through awareness, we are helping families move towards self-sufficiency and a brighter future.” 

Millions of Dollars Where They’re Needed Most 

Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre is just one of the organizations that participated in Food Banks Canada’s National Tax Clinic program in 2024. Thanks to funding and volunteer support from our corporate sponsor, KPMG in Canada, people with modest incomes had access to free tax clinics at six primary locations across the country. 

Food Banks Canada also awarded 18 smaller grants in 2024 to strengthen pre-existing tax clinics, which reported back and helped us estimate the deep impact these clinics can make within the food-bank network. 

Together, the six primary clinics completed 7,733 tax returns that benefitted more than 9,615 people, including over 2,531 children and other dependents. Meanwhile, the 18 additional clinics completed another 8,625 tax returns. 

In total, the 24 tax clinics returned more than $58.5 million dollars to the pockets of food-bank clients! 

Over 100 tax preparers, including KPMG volunteers, made this incredible outcome possible by donating an estimated total of over 7,000 hours. “We are proud of our people who dedicate their time and expertise to the tax clinic program, which has helped improve the financial well-being of food banks’ clients,” says Jackie Lee, National Social & Environmental Impact Lead at KPMG in Canada. “Our volunteers’ commitment to the community not only reflects KPMG’s values but also demonstrates the collective impact we can achieve together.” 

Financial Empowerment 

As Marlice experienced, people with low incomes often need to file a tax return to receive government benefits that can make an enormous difference to their household finances, such as GST/HST credits, the Canada Child Benefit and disability supports. 

However, there are many personal, institutional and systemic barriers that can get in the way. Some people — unaware that they’re eligible for benefits — may assume that filing isn’t important because their income isn’t high enough to owe taxes. Others lack knowledge of the taxation system or the funds to pay someone to help them navigate it. Some face challenging personal situations that make filing a daunting or low-priority task. 

Low incomes are at the root of food insecurity and the need for food banks. By helping people access the government credits and benefits they deserve, we can help them move forward out of survival mode. In other words, we can progress from relieving hunger today to preventing hunger tomorrow. 

As Jasleen Kaur explains, “The Tax Clinic Program has empowered clients with financial literacy and education… [In part because of this program,] they see the food bank as not just a source of emergency food but as a comprehensive support system dedicated to improving their overall well-being.” 

An Outsized Yearly Impact 

In 2025, Food Banks Canada will offer its National Tax Clinic Program for the sixth consecutive year. 

Knowing that it will have an outsized impact, we extend our sincere gratitude to the food banks that will host the core tax clinics — namely Burnaby Neighbourhood House, The Mississauga Food Bank, Moisson Laval, Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre, South Surrey Food Bank/Sources Community Resource Centre, St Paul’s Family Resources Institute, UHC – Hub of Opportunities and Unison Alberta — and to KPMG in Canada for their crucial support. It’s thanks to these collaborations that thousands of families will take a step closer to financial stability and food security this year.