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TurboTax, from Intuit Canada, is one of several programs the CRA certifies for filing a return online, and most people choose between them on three things: what it costs for their return, whether it handles their slips, and how the screens feel. Prices and free tiers change every season, so this page doesn’t quote any. It’s about how to choose and how to check the result.
What does certified tax software mean?
The CRA certifies tax software built by outside companies so that it can calculate a return and send it electronically. It publishes a list of the certified products each tax year, on its page to find certified tax software. That’s the whole promise. Certification says the program can file with the CRA. It doesn’t say which one suits a return with rental income, foreign slips or a small business.
So start with the CRA’s own list, not with an advert. If a program isn’t on it for the year, don’t enter your data there.
Is TurboTax Intuit Canada free?
Ask that of any brand and the honest answer changes with your situation. The CRA says most software will prepare a basic return for free if your income is modest, and otherwise there’s usually a service fee. Some programs use pay what you want. Some give away a simple return and charge for extras. Read the product page for your own case before you type in a single slip, since the free version may not cover your slips.
There’s also a free route that has nothing to do with software. Volunteers in the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program complete returns for people with a modest income and a simple tax situation. Clinic dates and locations vary, so use the CRA’s clinic finder to see what’s open near you.
What should you check before you pick a program?
Run through this list once. It takes ten minutes and saves an evening.
- Is the program on the CRA certified list for this tax year?
- Does it cover your situation: employment slips only, or self-employment, rental income, capital gains, a spouse?
- What will it cost for your return, not for the cheapest one on the page?
- Can it bring in your slips from your CRA account, or will you type each box by hand? Not every product does, so look at the feature list.
- Can you get last year’s return back, and can you export it?
And read what happens to the data you enter. A tax return holds your social insurance number, your address and your bank details.
How can you check that any program got the right answer?
Don’t take a refund figure on trust. Work out a rough number yourself first. Say you live in British Columbia, earned $75,000 at one job and had $14,000 of income tax withheld. The tax refund calculator shows a refund of about $2,080. Add a $5,000 RRSP deduction and it becomes about $3,490.
If your software lands close to that, good. If it’s a thousand dollars away, look for the reason: a missing slip, a credit it added, a deduction you didn’t mean to claim. The income tax calculator gives the tax side of the same picture, and the tax credits calculator covers federal credits only.
A quick sanity check also helps with the RRSP step. The extra $1,410 of refund on a $5,000 deduction is about 28% (20.5% federal plus 7.7% BC at that income), which is just what you’d expect. If your software shows something wildly different, one of your entries is probably off.
Does the program change your tax?
It shouldn’t. The same slips and the same claims should give the same tax in any certified product, because the rules come from the same law. Where programs differ is in the questions they ask, the credits they remind you about and how clearly they explain each step. So if two programs give you different totals, the gap usually means one of them got an input you didn’t give the other, not that one is smarter.
That’s also why a switch from one program to another usually costs little. Enter the same slips, compare the final lines, and chase any difference before you press send. If you’d rather not use software at all, the CRA lets you print a paper return and mail it in, though it’s slower.
Common mistakes with tax software
The biggest one is filing before every slip has arrived. Amended returns are a nuisance, and a late T5 from a bank is a classic cause. Another is trusting the balance owing without checking the date. For most people the 2025 return and any payment were due on April 30, 2026, and for the self-employed the filing date was June 15, 2026 while payment stayed on April 30. The dates for 2026 returns aren’t posted yet, so check the CRA before relying on them.
| 2025 return | Date |
|---|---|
| Filing and payment, most people | April 30, 2026 |
| Filing, self-employed | June 15, 2026 |
| Payment, self-employed | April 30, 2026 |
Last, people forget that software only does what you tell it. It won’t know about the tuition slip in your email or the donation receipt in a drawer. At tax time, spend an hour gathering paper before you open any program, and you’ll finish faster. If you’re wondering how much an RRSP would change the answer, try the RRSP calculator before you file.
The sources behind this page
The filing dates, the free filing options and the certification wording come from CRA pages on canada.ca. The example uses the calculators on this site with 2026 federal and British Columbia rates. This website has no connection with the CRA or any software company.
Frequently asked questions
Is TurboTax certified by the CRA?
We couldn't confirm the current list for this season. The CRA publishes its certified tax software list each year, so check it before you enter any data.
Can I file my taxes for free in Canada?
Often yes. The CRA says most software prepares a basic return free when income is modest, and volunteer clinics help people with modest income and a simple return.
Do I need software to file?
No. It just does the arithmetic and sends the return. You can also file on paper or use a volunteer clinic.
How do I know the software is right?
Compare its refund with a rough estimate from a calculator. A gap of a few hundred dollars is worth a look at your slips.
When was the 2025 return due?
April 30, 2026 for most people. Self-employed people had until June 15, 2026 to file, but any balance was still due April 30.
- How to choose a tax preparer in Canada
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