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You don’t need a personal tax accountant for a plain T4 return, but you may want one if you have rental income, a business, foreign property or a sale of shares. Most people file by April 30, and the deadline moves to June 15 if you or your spouse is self-employed. Tax owing is still due April 30 either way.
Who needs a personal tax accountant?
Ask what could go wrong on your return. If you have one employer and no other income, tax software handles it and an accountant adds little. Things change when your return has a rental property, a business, a large capital gain, or a year abroad.
Take a worker with $85,000 of employment income in Ontario. The income tax calculator shows $15,551.05 of federal and Ontario tax, plus $5,769.52 of CPP and EI. That’s an 18.3% average rate, and nothing in it needs advice.
What can an accountant find that you’d miss?
Mostly deductions you didn’t know applied, and mistakes you did know about but skipped. Put $10,000 of deductions against the same $85,000 and tax falls to $12,586.05. That saves $2,965, though only if the claim is real and supported.
| Situation | Extra work on the return |
|---|---|
| Rental property | Income, expenses and capital cost allowance choices |
| Self-employment | Form T2125 and CPP on both halves |
| Selling investments or a property | Capital gain and adjusted cost base records |
| Foreign property over $100,000 | Form T1135 in addition to the return |
| Moving into or out of Canada | Residency status decides what you report |
A rented-out basement with $30,000 of rent and $14,000 of expenses leaves $16,000, and the rental income tax calculator puts the extra Ontario tax at $4,744. The capital gains calculator does a similar job for a sale. On a $95,000 gain it shows $17,450.83 of extra tax.
What does the extra tax look like in plain terms?
Take the $85,000 worker again. Their $15,551.05 of tax is roughly $1,296 a month, which is what comes off the paycheque in some form all year. An accountant can’t change that much unless there’s something unusual in the return. The value shows up in the odd years: a move, a sale, a new side business. Even then, ask what the extra work will change in dollars before you agree to it.
What should you look for in a personal tax accountant near you?
We can’t name or rank local firms, and we couldn’t confirm what they charge. So use questions. Which professional body do they belong to? Can you check it on the body’s register? Is the price fixed for your kind of return, and what extra items cost more? Who will answer if the CRA writes?
Bring last year’s return and every slip, receipts for anything you plan to claim, and records for any sale or move. An accountant can only work with what you hand over, and a missing slip can mean amending the return after it’s filed, which costs you time and sometimes interest.
Location matters less than people think. Plenty of accountants take your slips as scans and meet by video.
If you want them to deal with the CRA for you, you’ll authorize them, either online or on form AUT-01. The form covers phone, mail, fax and in-person contact only. You must sign a separate one for each representative, and the CRA needs it within six months of the date you sign.
Do you need help, or a better checklist?
Sometimes the gap is organisation. Gather your slips first. Use the tax refund calculator to see roughly where you land, and the tax credits calculator for federal credits (it leaves out provincial ones). If the numbers still look off, that’s your cue to book someone.
What if you only need help once?
That’s common. Many people hire for the year they sell a rental or come back from abroad, then go back to software. Say so at the start, so the firm quotes a one-off job and doesn’t pitch a package. Keep the working papers they give you, because next year’s return needs last year’s numbers.
Where do people go wrong?
- They hire in April, when firms are busiest, and then rush the paperwork.
- Accountants get a partial set of slips, so the return misses income.
- Owners assume the June 15 date also moves the payment date.
- A claim gets made with no receipt behind it.
- The authorization form is signed, then never sent.
What this page is based on
Filing dates, the T1135 threshold and the authorization form details come from Canada Revenue Agency pages, read in September 2026. Tax figures use 2026 federal and Ontario schedules, and CPP and EI from the calculators on this site. This site has no link with the CRA or any government, and names no firm.
Frequently asked questions
When is the personal tax deadline?
April 30 for most people. If you or your spouse is self-employed the return is due June 15, but tax owing is still due April 30.
Do I need a personal tax accountant for a simple T4 return?
Usually not. Tax software covers a return with one employer and no other income.
How do I authorize an accountant to deal with the CRA?
Do it online through the CRA's representative authorization, or sign form AUT-01 for phone, mail and in-person contact.
How much does a personal tax accountant cost?
We couldn't confirm typical fees from an official source. Ask for a fixed quote for your kind of return.
How much can deductions save?
On $85,000 of Ontario income, $10,000 of deductions cuts tax from $15,551.05 to $12,586.05, a saving of $2,965.
- 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