This document discusses the various ways of doing your Canadian Income Tax. There are over a dozen CRA certified tax software providers. Quebec Income Taxes can be handled in a similar fashion. Pricing examples refer to the popular TurboTax products in effect March 2011. (Note TurboTax was called QuickTax prior to 2011.)
Some Keywords to Know
| CRA | Canadian Revenue Agency. These are the people who collect and process your Federal tax return. Their web site is www.cra-arc.gc.ca |
| Revenu Québec | Revenu Québec. These are the people who collect and process Québec tax returns. Their English web site is www.revenu.gouv.qc.ca/eng/ministere/ |
| NETFILE | CRA electronic tax filing service that allows you to file your personal income tax return directly to CRA using the Internet. (There is a NetFile Quebec site that is similar in function to the CRA's version. Quebec online filers will need to use both sites as directed by the software packages.) |
| Download | Downloading software from the Internet means that your computer is fetching the software from the Internet and copying it to your computer. This allows you to subsequently run the software on your computer without being connected to the Internet. |
Your Basic Choices
- Use the paper forms supplied by the government
- Not a good option. So many ways to make errors. You will also need to send all your receipts with your paper return via mail or hand it in at a government tax centre. Even the government prefers you do not use this technique. (It increases their workload, their warehouse storage requirements as well as the need to correct arithmetic errors and clerical errors you and they may make entering your information.)
- Quebec tax filers will need to complete a Quebec return in addition to the Federal one. The two returns are different enough to cause even more errors in completing them.
- Use a tax service to do your return
- May be useful for complex returns of self-employed people but usually an unnecessary expense for salaried employees. Harder to find someone to do it as tax deadlines approach.
- Use a tax program on your computer to enter, verify, and help you every step
of the way
- The most versatile choice. It allows you to do up to 20 returns at a low cost per return with fast consistent response times. Allows immediate submission of return for faster refunds. Sample price is $19.99 (basic), $39.99 (standard) for the first 8 tax returns with 60-day money-back guarantee.
- Use a web-based tax program to enter, verify, and help you every step of the
way
- The cheapest way to do a single tax return. Don't have easy access to an Internet connected computer at home? Then use a web browser at a library or Internet cafe. Sample price is $16.99 per completed tax return and free to try.
Why Using a Computer is Better
- The computer will help you enter your information, check it, and do all the math.
- If you need to also file a Quebec tax return, the tax programs will handle this with ease.
- You can submit the tax return directly from your computer to the government's one. This process takes only seconds. No need to print anything, or send in any slips of paper. (The CRA calls this submission process "NETFILE" . Quebec tax filers can also directly submit their Quebec tax return to "NetFile Quebec".)
- Any tax refund processing will be processed sooner since the government gets all the information they need in their format and they know it has been checked over by a tax program they have certified.
- If you owe taxes, you can pay them at any bank or by using online banking using the same way you pay your utility bills. The payer name is "CRA Payment on Filing". (The other name called "CRA Instalments" is for people who pay taxes in instalments throughout the year as directed by the government -- not the same thing.)
- Do you think an audit of your computer submitted return is more likely since you have not send in any slips, etc? Not true! The same criteria for reviewing income tax returns are used for both paper and electronic versions.
- Just remember:
- You cannot use NETFILE after the end of September. After that date you can still use the computer programs to print out your completed forms but you will need to submit the paper forms plus all the tax slips and receipts with it.
- CRA will not allow you to submit more than 20 computerized tax returns. This is meant to avoid people using these programs commercially. Most tax programs require that you pay slightly more if you do more than 8 returns.
Store-Bought Tax Programs
Many people buy their tax software from a store. The software comes in a box that contains a CD-ROM disk and not much else. When you install the tax program it will ask for an Internet connection to get the latest version of the software from the Internet. This is because the CD was created before CRA has certified the program. (The certification usually takes place by the end of January.)Directly Downloaded Tax Programs
It is usually faster and more convenient to download the tax software from the web than buying the software from a store. This may not sound logical but it is true. The boxed version you buy at the store is not the latest version of the software and often will not even let you file a tax return. You will need to install the software from the CD in the box and then connect to the Internet to get the latest version. So why not bypass that step and get the latest version directly from the Internet and avoid the intermediate steps of working with a CD. Infomation on popular downloadable tax programs from TurboTax.Running Directly from the Web
It is possible to prepare and submit you taxes using only a Web browser. If you have only one tax return to do this may be the least expensive method. You do not have to complete your taxes during one web session. Click here to try TurboTax web filing for FREE...Many students can prepare and file their taxes for FREE using this method. Click on link above for more details.