BOSTON FINANCIAL TAX CREDIT FUND VIII, A LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

                                  EXHIBIT 31.1

I, Kenneth J. Cutillo, certify that:

1.   I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Boston Financial Tax
     Credit Fund VIII;

2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of
     a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
     statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
     were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
     report;

3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
     information included in this report, fairly present in all material
     respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
     the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.   I am responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and
     procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and
     internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
     13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

     (a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
         disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
         supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
         registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to
         us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in
         which this report is being prepared;

     (b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such
         internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our
         supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability
         of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for
         external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
         principles;

     (c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and
         procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
         effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end
         of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

     (d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal
         control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's
         most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in
         the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is
         reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal
         control over financial reporting; and

5.   I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control
     over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit
     committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the
     equivalent functions):

     (a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
         operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
         reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to
         record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

     (b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
         employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal
         control over financial reporting.

Date:  February 16, 2010               /s/Kenneth J. Cutillo
                                       --------------------------------------
                                        Kenneth J. Cutillo
                                        Principal Executive Officer and
                                        Principal Financial Officer
                                        Arch Street VIII, Inc., as
                                        Managing General Partner of
                                        Boston Financial Tax Credit Fund VIII



<PAGE>

               BOSTON FINANCIAL TAX CREDIT FUND VIII, A LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

                                  EXHIBIT 31.2


I, Kenneth J. Cutillo, certify that:

1.   I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Boston Financial Tax
     Credit Fund VIII;

2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of
     a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
     statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
     were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
     report;

3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
     information included in this report, fairly present in all material
     respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
     the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.   I am responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and
     procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and
     internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
     13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

     (a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
         disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
         supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
         registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to
         us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in
         which this report is being prepared;

     (b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such
         internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our
         supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability
         of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for
         external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
         principles;

     (c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and
         procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
         effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end
         of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

     (d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal
         control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's
         most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in
         the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is
         reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal
         control over financial reporting; and

5.   I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control
     over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit
     committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the
     equivalent functions):

     (a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
         operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
         reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to
         record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

     (b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
         employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal
         control over financial reporting.

Date:  February 16, 2010               /s/Kenneth J. Cutillo
                                       ----------------------------------
                                        Kenneth J. Cutillo
                                        Principal Executive Officer and
                                        Principal Financial Officer
                                        Arch Street VIII, Inc., as
                                        Managing General Partner of
                                        Boston Financial Tax Credit Fund VIII