CAFolio is a fully virtual, free tax clinic that participates in the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP). We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information in a way that respects CVITP requirements and applicable Canadian privacy laws. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, how we protect it, and when it is deleted.

What information we collect

When you use CAFolio for tax preparation, we may collect the following personal information:

• Identification and contact details: name, date of birth, mailing address, phone number, email address, Social Insurance Number (SIN) or Individual Tax Number (ITN).
• Family information: marital status, spouse or partner’s name and SIN, dependants’ names and dates of birth.
• Tax and financial information: slips (for example, T4, T4A, T4E, T4A(P), T4A(OAS), T5, T5007, T4RSP, T4RIF, T2202), receipts (for example, rent, child care, medical, donations), past tax returns, and Notices of Assessment.
• Technical information related to virtual services: records of phone or online sessions, secure uploads, consent forms, and limited system logs needed to keep your information safe.
• We collect this information directly from you, or with your consent via authorized access to Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) services (for example, Auto‑fill or Represent a Client).

Why we collect and use your information

• To confirm your identity and eligibility to use CAFolio as a CVITP tax clinic.
• To prepare, review, and file your income tax and benefit returns as you request.
• To communicate with you about your tax return (for example, to request missing information or confirm details).
• To meet CRA’s CVITP program requirements, including record‑keeping, reporting, and quality assurance as required.
• To improve how we deliver our clinic services in general (for example, tracking how many returns we prepare), using only de‑identified or aggregated information where possible.
• We do not use your personal tax information for marketing, fundraising, or unrelated purposes.

When and how we share your information

CAFolio does not sell or rent your personal information. Our volunteers and staff keep your information confidential and will not use or disclose it for any personal purpose. All your information will be deleted after your income taxes filed and/or application is closed.  

How we protect your information

We take reasonable and appropriate measures to safeguard your personal information, including:

• Although we use strong safeguards, no method of transmission or storage is completely risk‑free. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we work to minimize risks and respond promptly if an issue arises.

How long we keep and when we delete your information

We keep your personal information only as long as necessary to. After closing your file/filing your income tax(es) we will securely delete or anonymize your information. This may include:

• Deleting electronic files and backups containing identifying tax information.
• Removing identifying details from records used only for statistics (for example, number of returns filed).
• If you withdraw your consent before we file your return, we will not file it and will securely delete any tax information that is no longer needed for legal or program reasons.

Children and dependants

We may collect information about your children or other dependants only as needed to prepare your tax return and determine eligibility for benefits and credits. We rely on the parent or legal guardian’s consent for this collection and use.