Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
Tax software only has to do one thing well: give the CRA the right numbers. The CRA certifies programs each year, and its list for the 2025 return shows 17, four of them free to start with. A name like TurboTax Deluxe is one paid tier among many, and the CRA publishes no prices or features for any tier.
What does certified tax software mean?
Certified means the company has gone through the CRA’s process, so the program can send your return through NETFILE. It doesn’t mean the CRA checked the maths. The CRA says using the software is the responsibility of you and the developer, and it isn’t responsible if a programming error changes what you owe.
The CRA also says it doesn’t look at the privacy policies of the developers. So that reading is yours to do, and ten minutes spent on it pays off before you type in your SIN and your address.
Which tax software is free?
On the CRA’s list, four programs are free to start with: Better Tax, CloudTax, GenuTax Standard and Wealthsimple Tax. Better Tax and GenuTax Standard have no paid tier. CloudTax and Wealthsimple Tax also sell optional paid services. StudioTax is free only as a mobile app, and its computer download is paid. Others are free only if your situation fits, and the CRA names the usual conditions in the table below.
| Free option depends on | What it means |
|---|---|
| Income | A modest income |
| Return | A simple tax situation |
| Where you live | Certain provinces or territories |
Costs for the rest vary with income and with how complicated the return is, and the CRA gives no single price. Spending a few bucks on a paid edition makes sense when your return has something a free version leaves out, and not much before that. Check the CRA list’s notes on limitations for the program you’re considering, since that’s where restrictions are recorded.
Does the software catch what you miss?
Mostly no. It asks questions and adds up your answers, but it can’t know that you paid for something you never mentioned. Here’s a test we ran with the income tax calculator. Someone in Ontario earns $60,000 and pays $8,320 in federal and Ontario tax. Add a $5,000 deduction they forgot, such as an RRSP contribution, and the tax drops to $7,104.
That’s a $1,217 difference, and no program would have found it without you entering the contribution. Software is only as good as the slips and receipts you give it. Sounds obvious. It’s also where most of the money gets lost. The tax credits calculator is a decent prompt for what you might have forgotten, though it covers federal credits only.
Think of Priya in Mississauga, who files in twenty minutes on free software every spring at tax time. It works for her because she has one T4 and one receipt for her union dues. Last year she also moved for work and never entered it. The program didn’t ask, and she didn’t think to say. Our documents checklist is the kind of list that would have caught it.
How do you choose between them?
Start with the free ones. Move up only if the CRA’s notes say your situation isn’t supported, for example when you have rental income or a business on the side. Ask three things. Does it support your return, including self-employment or rental income? Can you get a copy of the return as a file afterwards? And what does it say it does with your data?
For a quick sense of what to expect, run the tax refund calculator first. If the software’s number is far off from yours, look for a missing slip before you file.
When do you have to file, and does software change that?
No. NETFILE is open for 2025 returns from February 23, 2026 to January 29, 2027. A long window. The filing deadline for that return was April 30, 2026 for most people, and that’s the one that counted. Self-employed people had until June 15, but any tax owing was still due April 30, as the CRA’s due dates page sets out.
Software won’t remind you of a deadline you’ve already missed, so look at the date before you shop around. Our guide to filing your taxes walks through the steps in order.
What should you check before you use a program?
- Is it certified for the 2025 tax year? The CRA list is for 2025 returns, and the list for 2026 returns isn’t out yet.
- Does it handle your return? Each program has a CRA details page that names forms it does not support. GenuTax Standard, for example, runs on Windows only, and its CRA details page lists forms it does not cover, including the T1135 for foreign property.
- If you live in Quebec, does it also prepare the Quebec return?
- Does the company’s privacy policy say what it does with your data? The CRA does not review it.
- Does it let you save a copy of the return as a file?
The CRA also warns that the software companies are not CRA representatives and that email is not secure, so don’t send your SIN or slips to a company by email for support. For a simple return, our look at free tax software in Canada and the comparison of tax software costs, slips and results go further.
What does the CRA say about TurboTax Canada returns?
The CRA lists TurboTax (Intuit Canada) as a certified program in three formats: an online website, a Windows download and a mobile app. Online returns are certified for the 2023 to 2025 tax years, the Windows download for 2019 to 2025 and the mobile app for 2025. The listed services include Auto-fill My Return, NETFILE and ReFILE.
The same page says TurboTax has paid services plus free offerings for some users, and that eligibility depends on factors such as your income, tax situation and province. For 2025 it lists forms the program cannot send electronically, including the T1134 and T2203, so check that list if your return is unusual. The CRA publishes no price for any edition, so the price on the provider's own site is the one to compare.
Where the numbers come from
The software counts, free program names, conditions and dates come from the CRA‘s certified software page for the NETFILE program, read in September and again in November 2026. The CRA’s find certified tax software page was still showing the 2025 list, with 17 programs, and NETFILE open for 2025 returns until January 29, 2027. Tax figures come from our calculators, which use 2026 federal and Ontario rates. The CRA doesn’t endorse any product, and neither do we.
Frequently asked questions
Is TurboTax Deluxe worth paying for?
We couldn't confirm prices or features of any edition on an official page, so we make no claim. Check what the edition supports for your return, and compare it against the free certified programs before you pay. The CRA does not publish prices for any program on its certified list.
Does the CRA approve tax software?
It certifies programs so they can send returns through NETFILE. It doesn't endorse products, and it isn't responsible for calculation errors caused by the software. The CRA says you and the developer are responsible for how the software is used.
Which programs are free for everyone?
On the CRA list for 2025 returns, Better Tax and GenuTax Standard have no paid tier. CloudTax and Wealthsimple Tax are free but sell optional paid services. Many other programs are free only for some situations, such as a simple return or a modest income.
Does the CRA check the privacy policies?
No. The CRA says it doesn't look at the privacy policies of software developers, so read them yourself before you enter your SIN and address. The CRA also warns that software companies are not CRA representatives. Ten minutes of reading helps before you enter your SIN.
When can I use NETFILE?
For 2025 returns it runs from February 23, 2026 to January 29, 2027. The CRA had not posted dates for 2026 returns in November 2026. The filing deadline is separate, and for the 2025 return it was April 30, 2026 for most people.
Will the software find a deduction I forgot?
Not unless you enter it. A program adds up your answers and slips. On our example, a forgotten $5,000 RRSP deduction for someone earning $60,000 in Ontario would cut tax from $8,320 to $7,104, but only if it is entered.
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