Personal Finance

Comparison of Canadian-tax preparation software (free & paid) for personal use

  • Last Updated:
  • Jan 8th, 2018 8:07 pm
11 replies
Member
Jan 19, 2017
431 posts
121 upvotes
how is StudioTax when you need to incorporate the information about various tax credit you're entitled to? is it able to do all of that (say, medical bills, public transport, university tuition, RRSP, etc)?
Deal Addict
Nov 6, 2015
1353 posts
1022 upvotes
Guelph, ON
darXider wrote: how is StudioTax when you need to incorporate the information about various tax credit you're entitled to? is it able to do all of that (say, medical bills, public transport, university tuition, RRSP, etc)?
I've never used StudioTax myself, but I'm fairly confident in saying it would cover all those basic credits - it's not "tax software" if it doesn't.
Deal Addict
Nov 6, 2015
1353 posts
1022 upvotes
Guelph, ON
Personally I really like SimpleTax.ca - very easy to use in my opinion. To be fair, I've never used any other tax software so I have no frame of reference, but I can't think of anything I would want changed on it. Although I suspect maybe somebody who has never done their taxes on paper might want something that does all auto prompting (e.g. asks you if you made RRSP contributions, asks if you have charitable receipts, etc.). It starts with the universal prompts that everyone has to fill in, after that you have to know what you need to add in, but the search is pretty intuitive (i.e. search for "charities" you will likely get the correct form on the first result.
Deal Addict
Jul 28, 2012
1047 posts
490 upvotes
Trois-Rivières, QC
darXider wrote: how is StudioTax when you need to incorporate the information about various tax credit you're entitled to? is it able to do all of that (say, medical bills, public transport, university tuition, RRSP, etc)?
StudioTax has a wizard that asks you basic questions to determine which credits you will be claiming.

If my memory serves me right, the wizard does include all of the examples you gave: medical bills, public transport*, tuition and RRSP contributions.

* As a reminder: for 2017, you will only be able to claim this credit for public transportation passes from January to June.
https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency ... redit.html
Deal Addict
Mar 10, 2010
1595 posts
589 upvotes
I use StudioTax and Taxfreeway regularly, both are decent, though both have their own idiosyncrasies. Very comprehensive list, good post OP.
Deal Fanatic
Oct 26, 2008
7022 posts
2907 upvotes
Victoria, BC
Happy with Simpletax after trying some others a few years ago.

Wasn't aware of advtax before. Difficult to find out much about it. No sign of any data security policies that I can see. Just strange English language constructs.
Member
Oct 17, 2007
305 posts
502 upvotes
3rd Rock
I only use StudioTax.
It does the job of automating calculations and netfile, but you need to know what credits you can claim.
After the wizard, you will see forms that you don’t need and miss forms that you need.
Just manually add all federal and provincial schedules/forms that may apply to you and see if you get more credit.
After that, remove forms that give you zero credit if it is not mandatory to keep the return clean, especially if you are going to keep a printed copy.

Suggestion: go through the CRA tax guide to see if there is any thing new.
Jr. Member
Oct 25, 2010
109 posts
16 upvotes
Eastern Ontario
I've used UFile since 2007 and UFile online the last few years. I'm self employed, so my return is somewhat more complicated than a 'typical' return and it handles it fine.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Dec 11, 2005
20134 posts
2962 upvotes
I have used Studio Tax for years.

Two years ago I decided to try Quick Tax, so I paid for it at Costco. Biggest waste of $$$ in my life. IMO Quick Tax is MUCH harder to use than Studio Tax, and makes filing your taxes take WAY longer.

I decided this year I am going to donate money to Studio Tax as I don't want it to go away.
To be nobody but yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. -- E. E. Cummings
Deal Addict
User avatar
Mar 9, 2012
4102 posts
2980 upvotes
Kitchener
brunes wrote:
I decided this year I am going to donate money to Studio Tax as I don't want it to go away.
That's a great idea. I'm going to donate too. Never an issue with Studio Tax..
Why can't we all just get along?
Sr. Member
Jan 14, 2010
701 posts
249 upvotes
Central Ontario
Help out somebody who's been a bonehead for years and bought Quick/TurboTax. Part of my hesitancy of switching is that my info from the previous year is imported into the newest version. Although I think most of the info is available on my notice of assessment, I do carry-over my charitable donations to try to maximize the credit every few years. So am I stuck using TurboTax yet again? I really like the idea of using a made-in-Canada solution.

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