We have previously made the case for host organizations to collect and analyse data from their CVITP clinics to demonstrate the impact of their work to stakeholders and to improve their clinics in future years.  There are two ways to get this data: the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) could provide it or host organizations could collect it themselves.  In this article, we look at the first of these methods, showing how the CRA could and why it should provide the data.

But even if the CRA could and should provide the data to participating organizations, the CRA may not do this on its own initiative.  Host organizations are going to have to ask the CRA for the data.  To make it easier for them to do this, we provide a template of a letter which can be used or modified and sent to the CRA.  To get commitment from senior managers within the host organization who may be less familiar with the subject, we also provide a background note that a CVITP clinic coordinator can use internally to brief them.

If a host organization thinks it is a good idea, now is the time to send in this letter.  It will give the CRA ample time to plan for any changes in practice before the 2024 tax season.

However, we are not naïve in believing that the CRA would do this just because a handful of host organizations ask for it.  As it represents an important change in institutional practice, it will likely require a sustained letter writing campaign over the longer term by many host organizations to convince the CRA to make the technical, demographic, economic and benefit-related data available to each of its participating organizations for the CVITP service they are providing and the populations they are serving.

In the short term, what does a host organization do to get the data it needs to improve its CVITP service and to demonstrate the impact of this service?  This will be the subject of a forthcoming article.