LL ife styles EDITOR SABLEEN MINHAS

THE VOICE, THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015 5

File taxes for independence

Many students leave the task to their parents, but handling your
own finances is an important part of adult life, says a tax analyst

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By KELVIN GAWLEY

AX
Ips

1 Claim textbook
credit: Full-time
students qualify for
$65 per month for
this credit

arch brings students longer
days, blossoming flowers
and the promise of summer
break. It also brings the
stress of final exams and, for those who
do it themselves, filing income tax re-
turns.

Many students surveyed at Langara
College said they consider filing their
tax returns to be a task best left to ex-
perienced parents.

and scholarships There are several potential benefits
are tax free for students to file their taxes that go
beyond receiving a cheque for overpaid
3 Moving credits: taxes, according to Caroline Battista,
Claim this credit, national spokesperson for H&R Block
if you move more Canada.
than 40 kilometres Students should be active in the pro-
for a summer job, cess because it is an important part of
becoming an independent adult, Bat-
tista said.

2 Tax-free scholar-
ships: Program-
related bursaries

Source: H&R Block Canada

“T think it’s really important for us
all to take responsibility for our own fi-
nancial situation and taxes are a big
part of your financial life going for-
ward,” Battista said.

Bryan Wong, a general studies stu-
dent, said he “really hates” filing his
taxes because he does not fully under-
stand the process despite having stud-
ied and worked in finance.

Battista said there are several mis-
conceptions students have about filing
income taxes. The biggest being the be-
lief that it is unnecessary to file your
tax returns if you had no income in the
previous year.

There are two main reasons stu-
dents should file returns even if they
did not have income, according to Bat-
tista.

GST rebate cheques come in the mail
four times a year, even if you report
zero income. They won’t come if you do

KELVIN GAWLEY photo
The T2202A form is an essential requirement for post-secondary students while filing taxes, in order to claim tuition and education costs.

not file.

The other reason is to transfer tu-
ition credits to their parents. Battista
said it is common for parents to claim
this credit and not receive it because
their child does not file a tax return.

Maneisha Sandhu, president of the
Langara Accounting Club, said her
friends often ask her for help in filing
their taxes.

Sandhu said she usually tells them
about the Community Volunteer In-
come Tax Program, which hosts free
tax-filing clinics for people with modest
incomes.

Students need a tax receipt from
their school for proof of tuition pay-
ment and their enrolment.

Langara students can retrieve this
“T2202A” receipt by logging into their
student account and locating the file in
their student records.

Still scoring from behind the boards

Collision on the hockey
rink left Stephen Gordon
with broken collarbone but
that didn’t stop him

By JOCELYN ASPA

hile an injury forced Stephen
Wi cress to put his hockey sticks

away, it hasn’t prevented him
from helping his team out from behind
the boards.

Gordon, a kinesiology student at
Langara College, played hockey for 17
years before he met with a collision
on the ice two years ago.
In the accident,
collarbone
broke at five dif-
ferent places and
since then he
has played
only once.

He said that
he doesn’t plan on
lacing up his skates
again any time soon
but still continues to help his team,
Celly Hard Hockey Club, by doing man-
agerial tasks.

“The social connections, all the peo-

JOCELYN ASPA phato
Stephen Gordon donated his hockey
gear (below) to a hockey enthusiast
who was struggling financially. his

é < |

STEPHEN GORDON SUBMITTED photo

ple you meet, it’s definitely a big part of
my life,” Gordon said.

He said he makes sure the fees get
paid on time, the team’s roster is set
each week and this inspiration to go on
volunteering comes from his friends.

He said that he is content with his
position as a volunteer.

“If I stopped doing it, I know no one
else would and my decision would af-
fect 16 other guys out of playing hockey

66

The social

and I didn’t want to be that guy,” Gor- econnec-
don said. .
He said he has re- tions, all
ys covered from the in- the people
O jury and it took him
i about five months to y ou meet,
se regain ini strength it’s defi-
n addition to vol- ° °
unteering, Gordon has nitely a big
donated his own used hockey part of my
equipment to a hockey enthusiast who life
was struggling financially.

“They’d just be sitting in my ga-
rage,” Gordon said.

“T figured why not give it away to
someone who wants to play but doesn’t
have the money to afford new gear.”

Although Gordon doesn’t know ex-
actly how long he plans on volunteer-
ing, he said he would keep doing it until
someone else steps forward.

STEPHEN GORDON

KINESIOLOGY
STUDENT

Declutter to
de-stress

Spring cleaning can help
students get rid of stress
and anxiety by increasing
productiveness

By JULIA WICKHAM

ith more sunlight brightening
W: the day, spring is the per-

fect time to clear out dirt, keep
the necessities and start afresh.

Declutter your life, declutter your
mind. This is a mantra said by people
who believe that having a clean and
clear workspace has a positive effect
on their mind.

According to Sarah Parkes, a regis-
tered clinical counsellor at SFU health
and counselling ser-
vices said that a
distractive work-
space could make
it difficult for stu-
dents to focus on
their work.

“Students’
work-spaces can
influence the effi-

ciency and effec- CELESTE CARDOZ
tiveness of their General Sciences
efforts and, as a_ student
result, their levels
of stress and anxi- r4 4
ety,” said Parkes.

“Conversely, a I hate
quiet, comfortable, °
well-organized seeung my
work-space that is house look
equipped with the
tools needed for a messy It
given task will gives my
make it easier for bad vibes

students to focus
on their work.”

Celeste Cardoz,

a general sciences student. said that
disorder creates negative energy in
her life.

“TI usually clean periodically
throughout the year, not just in the
spring,” Cardoz said. “It definitely
clears my head, I hate seeing my house
look messy. It gives me bad vibes.”

“ll start off wanting to clean one
part of my room, but once I start with
one mess, everywhere else bothers me
too and I feel like I need to clean every-
thing at once,” said Cardoz.

Elinor Warkentin, a professional or-
ganizer and Langara grad, said if stu-
dents feel overwhelmed by the clutter,
they should break the “space up into
smaller chunks and tackle one area.”

“Start with an ‘easy’ area, a catego-
ry where you know you can downsize
to make a difference,” she said.

“Use the spring sunshine and fresh
air to motivate you,” she said.

Winnie Tosetti, a fine arts student,
said she tries to keep her work area
organized by cleaning because by do-
ing so she gets “more work done.”

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