Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
Looking for a tax person near me usually means one of three things: a free clinic, a preparer’s office or someone online. We can’t rank local businesses, so this page sticks to what you can check yourself. The CRA runs a free clinic program for people with a modest income and a simple return, and it keeps a directory of preparers certified to file through EFILE.
We’re assuming you want help with a personal Canadian return. If you meant a business or a corporation, the questions change a little, and our guide to filing business taxes covers that.
Where do you start looking?
Start with the free option, because you may qualify. Community organizations host clinics where volunteers complete returns for people with a modest income and a simple tax situation. The CRA’s clinic locator lets you pick by location and by the type of clinic you prefer. We’re leaving out the income limits on purpose. The CRA pages we looked at didn’t agree with each other, so read the limit on the clinic page before you go.
If you don’t qualify, or your return isn’t simple, the CRA’s page on using a professional tax preparer links to its directory. Preparers listed there are certified to file your return using EFILE. That tells you they can transmit a return. It doesn’t tell you they’re good at your situation, so you still have to ask.
Smaller towns have it harder. If the nearest office is an hour’s drive, an online preparer who files from anywhere may be the sensible pick. Distance matters less than it did, and the same questions below work over the phone or by video.
What should a tax person near you tell you before you hire them?
Ask about the fee before you hand anything over, and get it in writing. Local fees vary and nothing official sets them, so we won’t guess a number. Ask what the price covers, what happens if the CRA sends a letter next year, and whether the fee changes if you have a second slip or a rental.
Ask too who signs off. The CRA says the preparer prepares the return, but you authorize the filing by signing form T183, and you keep responsibility for it. So you’re entitled to read the prepared return first, and you should compare it to the form. If the preparer won’t let you see it, walk away. Our page on choosing a tax preparer goes deeper on the questions.
What do you bring with you?
Turning up with a pile of loose papers costs you time, and if the preparer bills by the hour it costs you money too. Bring these:
- Every slip you received (T4, T5, T3 and any others), plus last year’s notice of assessment.
- Receipts for anything you plan to claim.
- Your SIN and your direct deposit details.
- Details of anything that changed, such as a move, a new baby or a new job in another province.
Keep your slips, receipts and the completed T183 for at least six years. The CRA asks for that even when someone else prepared the return, and its records guide says the same about third parties generally. Our documents checklist is handy to print the night before.
How can you sanity check the number?
You don’t have to take the total on trust. Say you earned $75,000 in Ontario. The take-home pay calculator shows $8,258.60 of federal tax and $4,446.06 of Ontario tax, so about $12,704 in all. Compare that with the tax line on your return. A small gap is normal, since credits the calculator doesn’t count (tuition, medical, donations) lower the real bill, but a gap of a few thousand dollars in either direction is worth asking about before you sign anything, because the preparer may know something you don’t, or may have made a slip. Ask.
For a refund, the tax refund calculator works from the tax your employer already took off your paycheque. And if the preparer talks about tax you might owe on side income, try the self-employed tax calculator yourself first, so the conversation starts with a number.
Who lets someone see your CRA account?
Preparers sometimes ask for access. You control that. You can authorize a representative in My Account, and there are two levels: one for information only, and one that lets them make certain changes. When a representative sends a request, the CRA asks you to confirm or deny it. Choose the lower level unless there’s a reason for more, and set an expiry date if you like.
Never hand over your own CRA password so a helper can look around. Giving someone access through the proper channel takes a few minutes and leaves a record of who can see what.
Our sources
The clinic, directory, T183 and representative details come from Canada Revenue Agency pages read on 2026-09-30. The tax figures come from the 2026 tax tables built into our calculators. We aren’t a government service and we don’t speak for one.
Frequently asked questions
Is there free tax help near me?
The CRA lists free clinics run by community organizations for people with a modest income and a simple return. Use its clinic locator to find one by location.
What is the income limit for a free clinic?
We left it out because CRA pages showed different figures. Check the limit on the clinic page for the year you're filing.
Does an EFILE preparer mean a good one?
It means the preparer is certified to file returns through EFILE. It says nothing about fees or skill, so ask about both.
Who is responsible if the return has a mistake?
You authorize the filing by signing form T183 and you keep responsibility for the return, so read it before you sign.
Can my preparer see my CRA account?
Only if you authorize a representative. There are two levels, and you can confirm or deny a request.
- 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