For the past 15 years, a Pictou County, N.S. man has been helping people on low or fixed incomes file their taxes, for free.

Allan Murray knows his way around a tax return and tax season is a favorite time of year.

“I do look forward to a busy time, but a rewarding time and it's still that type of thing, you're happier when you've done it, than if you didn't do it,” says Allan.

Alla is the Pictou County coordinator of the Canada Revenue Agency's community volunteer income tax program.

Each year, about 20 tax experts help seniors, or people with low or fixed incomes, prepare their tax returns.

“You make a lot of friends. You make friends with volunteers…We make friends of clients, staff from the library headquarters who helps us out and lots of other people,” says Allan. “It's always nice to see people walking away happy to have their returns and that done.”

More than 2,000 people used the program to file their tax returns last year and close to 20,000 since Allan first started with the program.

Client booking times always fill up quickly at the New Glasgow Library.

“People always ask for Allan,” says technical services librarian Greg Hayward. “Everybody seems to know him by name when they call in. It isn't about the income tax program, it's ‘when is Allan coming back?’ and ‘when is the program going to start?’”

Volunteers credit Allan for his organizational skills and his efforts to raise awareness about the program.

“Not enough people knew about it and they would go to other programs and have to pay money, whereas this is for low income people and there's no money involved,” says volunteer Anne Royles.

“He's a very good overseer, I should call it,” says volunteer Stan Robinson. “He helps us out when we need help and he'll ask questions of the senior people too.”

Congratulations to Allan Murray, our Maritimer of the Week!

 

If you know someone deserving of our Maritimer of the Week award, we want to hear about it.

It doesn’t matter how old they are, the nature of the good deed they’ve done, or what part of the region they live in – we want your ideas!

Please send your nomination to:

maritimer@ctv.ca

or

Maritimer of the Week

P.O. Box 1653

Halifax, N.S.

B3J 2Z4