This research project will investigate how older adults navigate and use CRA services online, including filing taxes and benefit claims. We are interested in how older adults use the online system and how they may have others (such as family members, friends or tax volunteers) support them, either informally or formally through CRA delegate accounts. We are also interested in learning about the perspectives of tax volunteers who assist older adults in filing taxes and benefit claims. Finally, we are interested in learning about the perspectives of informal tax helpers: people who file taxes for their friends and/or family members.

Note that some parts of this study are complete: we are no longer recruiting tax volunteer participants. We are only recruiting informal tax helpers. That is why some information below is crossed out.

Recruitment Script

Investigators:
Dr. Celine Latulipe (celine.latulipe@umanitoba.ca)
Luke Wiebe (wiebel19@myumanitoba.ca)
Dr. Mohammad Khan (mohammad.khan@umanitoba.ca)

You are invited to participate in an interview study about older adults using Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) online services. Specifically this study investigates how older adults file taxes and claim benefits online, how they might rely on others (family, friends, tax volunteers) to do this on their behalf now or in the future, how CVITP volunteers who help older adults file taxes use CRA delegation mechanisms. We are also interested in the processes used by informal tax helpers: people who do taxes for their friends and/or family members. The aim of this study is to understand any challenges older adults, tax filing volunteers, and informal tax helpers face in using the CRA systems.

Participation in the study will consist of a single interview session lasting approximately 30 minutes for older adults and informal tax helpers and 60 minutes for tax volunteers. The study will take place online via Zoom, over the phone, or in person. We are looking for older adult participants (age 65+) who have filed taxes or claimed benefits through CRA in the past five years, either by themselves or with help from friends/family/tax volunteers. Note that it is not necessary to have used the CRA online systems to qualify for this study. We are also looking for tax volunteers, people who voluntarily help others file taxes through volunteer programs such as the program run by Community Financial Counseling Services. We are also looking for adults (age 18+) who do taxes for friends and/or family members.

We will ask older adult participants about if and how they use CRA online and how they expect to get help with filing taxes or making benefit claims in the future as they age, and what concerns and challenges they face using CRA online. We will ask informal tax helpers and tax volunteer participants about how they use CRA in their role helping others file taxes and benefit claims. Interviews will be audio-recorded and then transcribed and anonymized prior to analysis. We will not ask any participants to show us tax forms or income/benefit statements.

Participation in this study is voluntary. We are looking for individuals who are aged 65+ and who filed taxes or benefit claims in the last five year, with or without help from a family member, friend, volunteer, etc. We are also looking for tax volunteers (age 18+) who volunteer to help others with their taxes through a formal volunteer program such as the program run by Community Financial Counseling Services. We are also looking for informal tax helpers, (age 18+) who have done taxes for at least two other people informally (not through a CVITP program).

Risks associated with participating in this study are no greater than in everyday life. The benefit of participation is that you get to contribute knowledge about how CRA online systems can better support older adults and their caregivers, informal tax helpers, as well as tax volunteers. You will also get a chance to reflect on how you might arrange support for your tax and benefits filing needs as you age.

Upon completion of the study session, as a token of thanks for their time, older adult participants and informal tax helper participants will receive $15 compensation for the 30 minute interview and tax volunteers will receive $30 compensation for the 60 minute interview.

If you are interested and meet the above criteria, please follow the link below to the consent form. Or complete the paper consent form that you have been provided with. If you would like a paper consent form mailed to you, please reach out to Celine Latulipe (celine.latulipe@umanitoba.ca).

Once a completed consent form has been received, we will reach out to you to schedule a session.

This research has been approved by the Research Ethics Board at the University of Manitoba, Fort Garry campus. If you have any concerns or complaints about this project you may contact any of the above-named persons or the Human Ethics Coordinator at 204-474-7122 or humanethics@umanitoba.ca.

To ask questions about this study, please email Luke Wiebe: wiebel19@myumanitoba.ca or Dr. Celine Latulipe: celine.latulipe@umanitoba.ca.

Consent Forms

Study is now closed.

Consent form for older adults participants.

Consent form for informal tax helper participants.

Consent form for tax volunteer participants

Research Summary

Once the research study is complete a summary of the results will be posted here.