Terms of Use

Effective date: 2026-08-29

Please read these terms before using the Initiative Avantage website or booking an appointment. By using this site or booking a consultation, you agree to these terms.

1. Who we are

Initiative Avantage ("we," "us," "our") is a nonprofit based in Montreal, Quebec. We are setting up a free, virtual tax preparation service (our "Tax Clinic"), which we plan to operate under the Canada Revenue Agency's Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, offered in Quebec as the Income Tax Assistance – Volunteer Program (ITAVP), a joint program between the CRA and Revenu Québec. Our Tax Clinic has not launched yet — this website currently allows you to learn about our planned services and join our booking list; we will confirm with you once appointments are actually available.

2. Eligibility

Our services are intended for individuals who meet the following eligibility requirements. We reserve the right to decline or redirect a request if your situation falls outside what our volunteers/staff are able to assist with.

3. Nature of our service

• Our service is provided free of charge, by trained volunteers registered with the CVITP/ITAVP, on a virtual basis.
• We make reasonable efforts to prepare accurate tax returns, but we do not guarantee any specific outcome, refund amount, or that your return will be free of errors.
• Our service is not a substitute for a professional accountant or tax lawyer. It is also intended only for simple tax situations. If your situation involves self-employment or employment expenses, business income, rental income, interest income over $1,200, capital gains or losses, bankruptcy, a deceased person's return, foreign property, or foreign income, we will be unable to assist you and may recommend you seek paid professional help instead.
• Before your return is filed, your volunteer will review it with you so you can confirm the information is correct. You are responsible for reviewing your return before it is filed and confirming the information provided to us is accurate and complete.

4. Appointments

• Booking an appointment through our website reserves a time slot with a volunteer.
• Appointments are held virtually over Google Meet. Please join on time using the link provided; if you are more than 15 minutes late, we may need to reschedule you.
• You will be asked to upload your tax documents through a secure link at least 48 hours before your appointment (see Section 5). If your documents are not received in time, we may need to reschedule your appointment so your volunteer has a chance to review them beforehand.
• If you need to cancel or reschedule, please do so at least 1 day in advance by appointments@initiativeavantage.com, so we can offer the slot to someone else.
• Repeated no-shows may affect your ability to book future appointments.

5. What you'll need to provide

You are responsible for providing accurate and complete documentation before your appointment (e.g., income slips, prior year's return, government-issued ID, your Social Insurance Number). We cannot prepare your return without the necessary documents, and incomplete information may result in an inaccurate return.

• Documents should be uploaded through the secure link we provide, not sent by email. See our privacy policy for details on how your documents and information are handled, stored, and deleted.
• Before we prepare your return, you will be asked to sign the CRA's official Taxpayer Authorization form, authorizing a specific volunteer to prepare and file your return.
• Because your appointment is virtual, you are responsible for having a stable internet connection, a device with camera and microphone access to Google Meet, and a private space to discuss your information, given its sensitive nature.

6. Your responsibilities

• Provide accurate, truthful, and complete information.
• Treat our volunteers and staff with respect. We reserve the right to end a consultation or decline future service in cases of abusive or threatening behavior.
• Use this website only for its intended purpose (learning about and booking our services).

7. Limitation of liability

Our volunteers prepare your return based on the information and documents you provide, and in accordance with Section 3 and Section 6, you are responsible for the accuracy of that information.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Initiative Avantage and its volunteers/staff are not liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from the use of our services or this website, including but not limited to errors in a filed return, missed deadlines, or reassessments by tax authorities. Our total liability, where liability cannot be excluded by law, is limited to the fact that our services are provided free of charge.

Nothing in this section limits or excludes liability for gross or intentional fault, or for bodily or moral injury, which cannot be excluded under article 1474 of the Civil Code of Québec.

8. Third-party services

Our website and services rely on the following third parties, each subject to their own terms of service:

• Cal.com — appointment booking
• Google Meet — virtual appointments
• Google Drive — secure document upload before your appointment
• UFile CVITP — tax return preparation and filing

See our privacy policy for details on how your information is handled by us and by these providers.

9. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. Continued use of our website or services after changes are posted means you accept the updated terms.

10. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Quebec and applicable federal laws of Canada.

11. Contact us

Questions about these terms:

Initiative Avantage Email: contact@initiativeavantage.com