Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
If you’re looking for Liberty Tax in St. Catharines, we can’t tell you an address, opening hours or a price, because none of that is on an official page and we don’t want to guess. What we can do is show you how to check any tax preparer in that city, whatever the sign says, before you hand over your slips. We’ve assumed you mean an Ontario office of the Liberty Tax preparation brand.
What do the official pages tell you about preparers?
The Canada Revenue Agency says a tax preparer can be a firm, an organization, a discounter or another certified individual. Preparers file your return electronically through EFILE, using certified tax software. The CRA also keeps a directory of certified EFILE preparers, and that’s a better place to start than a search result.
It usually takes the CRA about two weeks to process a return filed through EFILE. Nothing on the page names a fee, so any price you’re quoted is the office’s own.
Is a refund advance worth it?
A discounter works out your expected refund and pays you one up-front amount before filing. That’s the CRA’s description. Whether it costs you anything, and how much, depends on the offer, and we couldn’t confirm the terms for any specific one.
So ask two things. What do I pay for this, in dollars? And what happens if the CRA’s assessment comes back lower than the estimate? If you don’t get a straight answer to both, walk out.
What should you take to the appointment?
The CRA asks you to gather all your income and expense information. In practice that means:
- Your tax slips (T4, T5, T3 and the rest)
- Receipts for anything you plan to deduct or claim as a credit
- Your direct deposit details, mailing address and notification preferences, kept current with the CRA
- Last year’s notice of assessment, if you have it
That last one isn’t on the CRA page we read, but a preparer will almost always ask for it, since it shows your carry-forward amounts.
Can your preparer see your CRA account?
Only through the CRA’s own route. Since 15 July 2025 the Authorize a Representative option inside EFILE software is no longer available for individual clients, and representatives must use Represent a Client to get access. So you shouldn’t be handing anyone your own login details. If a preparer asks for them, that’s a reason to look elsewhere.
Do you need Liberty Tax or any preparer at all?
Maybe not. On $60,000 of employment income in Ontario, our 2026 data gives about $8,320 of income tax and $4,340 of CPP and EI, which leaves roughly $47,340. You can check figures like these yourself with the income tax calculator, and the tax refund calculator gives a rough sense of what a return should show. If your preparer’s number lands far away, ask why.
If your income is modest and your return is simple, the CRA says free tax clinics run by volunteers through the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program can do the return for you. Income limits differ between CRA pages, so we’ve left them out. Check the CRA’s clinic page before you go.
Before any appointment, run your situation through the tax credits calculator so you know which claims to raise. It covers federal credits only.
What about deadlines?
For the 2025 return, the CRA’s date was 30 April 2026 for most people and 15 June 2026 for the self-employed, although any balance owing was still due on 30 April. Those dates have passed. We couldn’t find the 2026 return dates published yet, so check the CRA before you plan around a date. A late return can still be filed, and doing it sooner is better than waiting.
Where people go wrong
They pick an office by the storefront. Ask the questions above, get the fee in writing, and ask to see the full return before it’s filed.
They also skip the copy. Keep your own record of what was filed, along with the slips and receipts behind it.
Where the numbers come from
The preparer, EFILE, discounter, clinic and Represent a Client details come from Canada Revenue Agency pages read in September 2026. The $60,000 example uses this site’s 2026 federal and Ontario tax data. This site isn’t linked to Liberty Tax, the CRA or any government.
Frequently asked questions
Can you tell me what Liberty Tax charges in St. Catharines?
No. We couldn't confirm any office's fees from an official source, so ask the office for a written price.
How do I find a certified tax preparer?
The CRA keeps a directory of certified EFILE preparers, and a preparer files your return through EFILE certified software.
What is a discounter?
The CRA says a discounter works out your expected refund and gives you one up-front payment before filing. Ask what it costs you.
Should I give my preparer my CRA login?
No. The CRA says representatives must use Represent a Client to get access to your account.
Are there free options?
The CRA says free tax clinics run by volunteers help eligible people file. Check the CRA page for who qualifies.
- How to choose a tax preparer in Canada
How to decide if you need a tax preparer, what a preparer does, the questions to ask before you hire one and where to find free help in Canada
Information only. This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Tax-Services.ca is an independent publisher: we don't prepare or file tax returns or offer tax services, and we have no connection with the CRA, Revenu Québec, any government or any company named on this page. Check the figures that matter with an official source or a qualified professional.