- Mar 12, 2019 Free income tax software options available to Canadians in 2019 When it comes to free income tax software options in Canada there are many to choose from. With more than 90% of Canadians filing online, you might want to focus on software that is NETFILE-certified by the Canadian.
- Similar to other software programs, it will begin by asking you a series of questions when you click “start,” guiding you to enter your information. It also allows you to import previous years’ returns you completed using a competitor. Best of all, that “free” price tag includes an audit defense guarantee.
NETFILE is an electronic filing service that taxpayers can use to file their own individual income tax and benefit return with the CRA. To protect the integrity of this service, the CRA has set a limit of 20 returns per computer that can be prepared with NETFILE-certified tax preparation software each tax year. The limit may help prevent some tax preparation service providers from using NETFILE.
Best Overall: TurboTaxYou save:
Free Income Tax Software Canada 2017
TurboTax is arguably the name in personal tax preparation software, and its developer—Intuit—charges accordingly. You’ll pay top dollar for this one, but users and experts alike seem to think it’s worth it. It scores kudos in almost every category, from user experience to being able to import a good many employer tax IDs. You can take pictures of your W-2s and 1099 forms rather than type in all the information they include, risking typos and mistakes. There’s an “Expense Finder” feature if you’re self-employed and must file Schedule C. It can lift potentially tax-deductible expenditures directly from your bank account and categorize them, add them up, and input them accordingly. The 2019 version will search more than 350 tax deductions and credits for you to see if you qualify after you enter your personal information.
The software engages you much as a professional would with questions and guidance, although some pop-up messages can be a bit chirpy and possibly jarring when you’re concentrating. Think comments like “You’re doing great!” interspersed with questions designed to dig your tax data out of you.
If you get confused or otherwise hit a brick wall, TurboTax offers experts to chat with if you use the online version. It also has a “SmartLook” feature that will put you face-to-face with a tax expert, and it offers audit support. And if TurboTax makes a mathematical goof? They’ll pay all associated IRS penalties on your behalf. They also offer free audit support.
Free Canadian Income Tax Software
So how much will all this cost you? $79.99 if your tax situation is pretty simple. And if you act fast and file before the 2019 tax season officially gears up in late January, you can shave $30 off that. The actual cost to file is free for both state and federal returns…at least for the time being. You can expect this to increase to $39.99 for federal returns and $36.99 for state when tax season gets underway. And each time you want to do something that falls outside the “simple” range, you’ll be asked to pay for it or upgrade to a different program. Think itemizing deductions, reporting income from investments, or self-employment.