Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
Tax software for a home business only needs to do three things: be certified by the CRA, handle form T2125 for business income, and file by the self-employed deadline, which for the 2026 return is usually June 15, 2027 (it was June 15, 2026 for the 2025 return). Any certified product can do that. Products such as TurboTax Home & Business are one example, and this page can’t tell you which one is cheapest or best, since prices and features weren’t confirmed.
What should you check before you buy?
Start with certification. The CRA’s page to find certified tax software opens with a plain statement.
Each year, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) certifies tax software developed by third party service providers.
Find certified tax software, Canada Revenue Agency, canada.ca
The list on that page also shows pricing, any free options, and whether each product is online, a computer download or a mobile app. Use it rather than an ad to see whether a product is certified.
Next, read the product description for the words self-employed, business income or T2125. A cheap edition made for employees may leave out the business forms you need. That’s the mistake to worry about most, since you usually find it after you’ve entered everything.
Then look at the boring details. Does it import last year’s return? Can you print or save a PDF copy? Ask what the vendor does with your data, too, because a tax return holds almost everything about you.
What are the filing dates for self-employed people?
There are two dates, and people mix them up.
| What | Date for the 2026 tax year |
|---|---|
| Balance owing must be paid | April 30, 2027 |
| Return must be filed (you or your spouse self-employed) | June 15, 2027 |
Filing on June 15 doesn’t give you until June 15 to pay. Any tax owing is still due on April 30. These dates apply to a sole proprietor with a December 31 year end. Partnerships and corporations haven’t been checked here, so don’t use this page for those.
Budget 2026 proposes to move both the filing and balance-due dates to May 15 for everyone, self-employed people included, starting with the 2027 tax year. It is only a proposal, and your 2026 return keeps the dates above. We explain it in the May 15 tax filing deadline for 2027, and the Canadian tax calendar 2027 lists the rest of the year.
What if you missed the deadline?
The same two dates for the 2025 tax year (April 30 and June 15, 2026) have passed. If you haven’t filed that return, do it now. Late-filing penalties and interest grow with time, and interest runs on any balance from April 30, so every week you wait costs a little more. Certified software still works for a late return, as long as you pick the product edition for the right tax year. Choose the 2025 edition, not the one for the current year.
The same warning applies to benefits. A late return can hold up payments such as the GST credit, so there’s a real cost to waiting beyond the penalty itself.
Can the software work out my tax for me?
It’ll do the arithmetic, but you still supply the right income and costs. An estimate beforehand tells you whether the software’s answer is sensible. Take $60,000 of net business income in Ontario with no other income. The self-employed tax calculator shows $7,879.42 of income tax and $6,723.50 of CPP, which is both halves because you pay the employer part too. Together that’s $14,602.92, or 24.3% of the income.
That figure leaves out GST/HST, EI and business expenses. If your software shows something wildly different, look for a missing expense or an income line typed twice.
A handy rule of thumb: set aside about 24% of what you earn at this income. On a $60,000 year, that is close to $14,600, or roughly $1,217 a month. Park it in a separate account so April doesn’t hurt.
Want a quicker look at a refund or balance? The tax refund calculator works from your income and what was withheld. For a wider view of your income, use the income tax calculator.
Is it worth paying for software at all?
That depends on how messy your year was. A single stream of freelance income and a few expenses is easy to enter in nearly any certified product. A rental, a business and some investments in one year is the point where a business-focused edition earns its cost.
Whether a free tier covers business income varies by product, so check the vendor’s page for the current answer. The CRA’s list is the place to compare, because it shows only products that are certified.
Common mistakes with home business returns
The first is forgetting instalments. If you owed a lot last year, the CRA may expect payments during the year, and the tax instalments calculator gives you a rough schedule. The second is skipping the home office claim, or making it wrong. Our guide to business use of home expenses explains the two tests.
The third is trusting the software’s prompts too much. It asks the questions, but it won’t know that your coworking membership was half personal. Keep receipts, and enter only what you can back up.
Where we got these figures
The certification rules come from the CRA page on certified tax software, and the June 15 and April 30 dates come from Canada Revenue Agency pages on filing for the self-employed, checked in November 2026. The May 15 proposal is in the Budget 2026 tax measures. The example uses our 2026 federal, Ontario and CPP tables. This site is not connected to the CRA or to any software maker.
Frequently asked questions
Does tax software for a home business have to be CRA certified?
To file with NETFILE, yes. The CRA certifies tax software from third-party providers each year and publishes the list of certified products, with price, any free option and whether each product is online, a download or an app. Check the list rather than an ad, and read the product description for self-employed, business income or T2125.
When must a self-employed person file for the 2026 tax year?
The usual date is June 15, 2027 if you or your spouse or common-law partner is self-employed. Any balance owing is still due April 30, 2027. For the 2025 tax year the dates were June 15 and April 30, 2026. Budget 2026 proposes May 15 for both from the 2027 tax year, but that is only a proposal.
Which tax software is best for a home business?
We could not confirm prices, features or rankings for named products, so we do not rank them. The CRA's list tells you only which products are certified. Pick one whose description covers business income and form T2125, and check the vendor's own page for the current price and whether a free tier covers self-employment.
Does filing on June 15 delay my payment?
No. Filing on June 15 does not give you until June 15 to pay. Any tax owing for the year is still due on April 30, and interest runs from the day after that date. If you owe, pay by April 30 and file later, or file early and pay at the same time.
What does the self-employed calculator result leave out?
GST/HST, EI and business expenses are not included in the result. On $60,000 of net business income in Ontario we show $7,879.42 of income tax and $6,723.50 of CPP, which is both halves, so $14,602.92 or 24.3%. Use that as a sense check on what your software reports, not as a final figure.
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