Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
A tax return accountant is worth paying when your return has more than a T4 on it: self-employment, rental income, a sale of property or a move between provinces. If you have one employer and no oddities, free software or a free tax clinic will do the job, and the deadline is the same either way. For most people that’s April 30, and June 15 if you or your spouse or common-law partner run a business (any balance owing is still due April 30).
Searching “near me” gets you a list of firms, and we can’t tell you which one is good. What we can do is show you what to ask, what to check and what the job is actually worth in dollars.
Do you need a tax return accountant at all?
Try the test with your own numbers first. Say you’re an Ontario employee earning $60,000. Our income tax calculator shows $8,320.50 of income tax, $3,361.75 of CPP and $978.00 of EI, so about $47,340 stays with you. A return like that is mostly typing in slips. Paying someone to do it rarely changes the result.
Now change the picture. Add a side business, a rental flat or a year abroad, and the rules multiply. That’s where a second pair of eyes earns its fee. We couldn’t confirm what accountants charge, so we won’t quote a range. Ask for a fixed price for your return, in writing, before you send any documents.
What should you ask before you hire?
Keep the questions short and blunt.
| Ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Who signs and who prepares the return? | You want to know if the person you meet is the person doing the work |
| What’s the fee, and what’s extra? | Amended returns, slips found late and CRA letters are often billed separately |
| Which credential do you hold, and who issues it? | Then you can check it with that body yourself |
| Do you deal with the CRA for me? | Some firms only file; others answer letters and reviews |
| Where are my documents kept? | Your return holds your SIN, address and bank details |
Nobody in Canada is forced to use a licensed preparer, so a title on a business card proves little. Verify it. We didn’t check any firm’s standing, and you shouldn’t take ours or anyone’s word for it.
How does an accountant deal with the CRA for you?
Through the CRA’s Represent a Client service. You add your accountant to your account or sign a consent form, and the CRA then talks to them about your file. For a business, the CRA offers different levels of access, so read which level you’re granting. Level 1 and Level 2 give less than Level 3, which also allows changes to the account.
Don’t hand over your own CRA sign-in details. Authorize the person properly, and remove them when the work ends.
What should you have ready before the first appointment?
All your slips, last year’s notice of assessment, receipts for anything you plan to claim and a note of big life changes: a move, a new baby, a sale, a job loss. Elena in Regina walks in with one folder and a one page list of changes, and her appointment takes half the time. Missing something? Say so up front, since a few weeks’ delay on one slip is better than a rushed return, and the accountant will tell you whether to wait or file and amend.
What does a good accountant save you?
That comes down to what they find. Take a sole proprietor in Ontario with $80,000 of net business income. The self-employed tax calculator gives $13,233.57 of income tax and $8,892.90 of CPP, both halves. Suppose an accountant finds $2,400 of business costs you’d missed (the figure is only an example). Net income drops to $77,600, income tax falls to $12,533.53, and CPP to $8,700.90. That’s $700.03 less income tax and $192 less CPP.
So the saving is real, but it only equals a slice of whatever costs they dig up, since the rest of the money still went out the door, and that’s no windfall. If a preparer promises a big refund before seeing your slips, walk away.
How do you read the finished return?
Don’t just sign. Check your name, SIN, address and bank details, then compare total income against your slips. If something looks low, say so. Ask what the refund or balance would have been without their changes, even if it’s only a few bucks of difference, so you understand what changed and why. A decent accountant welcomes that question and explains the answer in plain language. If a refund looks too good, ask where it comes from before you sign.
Mistakes that cost people money
- Hiring after the deadline, when good firms are full and you’re already paying interest.
- Sending a photo of half the paperwork and expecting a complete return.
- Skipping the return copy. Keep it and every receipt: the CRA says to hold records for six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to.
- Leaving out the balance owing. The filing extension for business owners doesn’t move the payment date.
Before you sign up anyone, run the tax refund calculator so you know roughly what to expect. Then, if you claim credits, try the tax credits calculator, which covers federal credits only.
What this page is based on
Deadlines, record rules and the authorization levels come from the Canada Revenue Agency pages we read in September 2026. Tax amounts come from the 2026 data in our calculators. The site has no connection with the CRA or any accounting firm.
Frequently asked questions
Who needs a tax return accountant?
People with business income, rental income, property sales or foreign income gain the most. A simple return with slips only usually doesn't need one.
Can an accountant deal with the CRA for me?
Yes, once you authorize them through Represent a Client or the business consent form. Choose the level of access carefully.
How much does a tax return accountant cost?
We couldn't confirm typical fees, so we don't quote any. Ask for a fixed price in writing before you send documents.
What if I can't afford an accountant?
Free tax clinics run by community organizations help people with a modest income and a simple tax situation.
How long should I keep my tax records?
Six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to, in most cases.
- 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