Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
Intuit is the company behind TurboTax, so we’ve assumed that’s what you mean by Intuit tax Canada. Any tax program you can use to file online has to be certified by the CRA first, and the CRA’s list is the only place to confirm that a program is allowed to file for you. Which one you pick matters less than most ads suggest, and there are a few checks worth ten minutes.
Does the software have to be CRA certified?
To file electronically yourself, yes. The CRA certifies programs from outside developers, and its certified software page is where you check. For 2025 returns the CRA says NETFILE and ReFILE are open from February 23, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. Eastern until Friday, January 29, 2027. The same page says you can send first returns for tax years 2018 to 2025 and amended returns for 2022 to 2025.
So the deadline to file is one thing, and the software window is another. You can file a late return through certified software, but the software window does not move the due date, and penalties follow the due date.
We couldn’t find 2026 return dates yet, since the CRA hasn’t published them. Check its page next winter.
What should I check before I pick a program?
Start with your own situation. Do you have only T4 slips, or also rental income, self-employment, foreign income or capital gains? Many providers offer a free version for a modest income and a simple return, though the rules differ between providers and may depend on your province. That’s the CRA’s description, and it doesn’t name prices, so we don’t either.
| Question | Where to find the answer |
|---|---|
| Is it certified for this tax year? | CRA certified software list |
| Does it cover my forms? | The developer’s site |
| What does my situation cost? | The developer, before you enter data |
| Who sees my data? | The privacy policy, which the CRA does not review |
| Who helps if it breaks? | The developer, not the CRA |
That privacy line is easy to skip. The CRA says it doesn’t review privacy policies, so reading one is your job. And if the software makes a calculation error, the CRA says you carry the responsibility, not it.
Think of Lena in Moncton, who does her own return every year. She opens the CRA list first, finds her product, and checks the price for her situation before typing a single slip. It takes five minutes and has spared her more than one surprise upgrade fee.
How can I tell if the numbers are right?
Do a rough check on your own. Put your slip figures in our income tax calculator before you file. With $85,000 of employment income in Ontario, it shows $15,551.05 of federal and Ontario income tax and $5,769.52 of CPP and EI, leaving $63,679.43. Your program will add your credits and deductions, so it should come out somewhere near that unless you have some, and if it lands far away, look at the slips you typed in.
The calculator uses 2026 rules and ignores benefits and refundable credits. It’s a sanity check, not a second filing tool. If a refund is what you’re after, the refund calculator gives a rough range, and the tax credits calculator shows federal credits you may have missed.
A good habit is to compare the total income line in the program with the slips in front of you, one by one. Most typing mistakes show up there, and they’re the cheapest ones to fix before you hit send.
What should you keep after you file?
Save the finished return as a file on your own computer, not only inside the program, since an account you stop paying for may lock you out. Keep the notice of assessment when it arrives, along with your slips and receipts. Six years is the usual period, and a folder with the year on it is all you need. If you ever switch products, you’ll still have last year’s numbers to carry over.
Mistakes people make with tax software
Trusting the default answers is the first. Software asks questions in plain words, but a wrong click on a yes/no box can change a credit. Another is skipping the review page. And a program that isn’t on the CRA list can’t be used for NETFILE.
Fix an error later with Change my return in your CRA account or with ReFILE in certified software. Wait for the notice of assessment first.
Do you need software at all?
If your return is simple and your income is modest, a volunteer clinic may do it for free. The CRA runs a program for that, called the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, and its page has a search by location. We’re leaving out the income limits because they differ between CRA pages, so check the current one. If your year includes anything a clinic won’t take, software or a preparer is the way to go.
What is this page based on?
The dates and rules on certified software are from the Canada Revenue Agency‘s certified software page, read in September 2026. The Ontario example is from our own income tax calculator, using 2026 federal and Ontario rates. Nothing here is a claim about the price, features or ranking of any program, and this site has no link with Intuit, the CRA or any government.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to use CRA certified tax software?
To file your own return electronically, yes. The CRA publishes a list of certified programs and certifies them each year.
When does NETFILE close?
The CRA says it is open from February 23, 2026 to January 29, 2027, for first returns for 2018 to 2025.
Does the CRA check a program's privacy policy?
No. The CRA says that reading the privacy policy is your responsibility.
Who is responsible if the software makes an error?
The CRA says you are, not the CRA, if an error affects your tax calculation.
Is there a free way to file?
Some providers offer free versions for a modest income and a simple return. The CRA also lists volunteer clinics in its Community Volunteer Income Tax Program.
- How Canadian income tax works: brackets and credits
How federal and provincial Canadian income tax stack up, what marginal and average rates mean, and how credits and deductions change your bill