Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
No accounting software follows Canadian tax rules by magic, and we found no CRA grading of bookkeeping apps. What the CRA does certify is tax filing software, approved each year for sending personal returns electronically. So test any accounting software yourself with a few numbers you know are right, such as 13% HST on $1,000 in Ontario.
What does CRA certified actually cover?
The CRA certifies software from outside developers every year. On its NETFILE page, certification means the software can calculate a return and file it electronically. Certified products can send first returns for tax years 2018 to 2025 through NETFILE, and amended returns for 2022 to 2025 through ReFILE. For 2026, NETFILE and ReFILE are open from 23 February 2026 until 29 January 2027.
Notice what that leaves out. It says nothing about how well a product handles your invoices, your HST account or your payroll. We couldn’t find a CRA list that certifies bookkeeping features, so if a vendor says “CRA approved”, ask which service they mean.
The CRA also tells you to do some homework yourself. It says it doesn’t look at the developers’ privacy policies, so read them. It also says to confirm you have the latest version of the program, and to check which free offers apply to your income and province.
Is certified tax software the same as accounting software?
No, and mixing them up is the commonest confusion. Tax software takes your slips and receipts once a year and produces a return. Accounting software runs all year, tracking invoices, bills, bank lines and sales tax. Some companies sell both under one brand, but the certification applies to the tax-return product, and a vendor’s marketing page may blur the two. If you’re a sole proprietor, the accounting file feeds the numbers that go onto the personal return, so the two need to agree. If they don’t, you’re the one explaining the gap.
Which tax rules should accounting software get right?
For a small Canadian business the list is short but unforgiving.
| Area | What to test | Known answer |
|---|---|---|
| HST in Ontario | Sale of $1,000 | 13% HST, $130.00 |
| GST and QST in Quebec | Sale of $1,000 | $50.00 GST and $99.75 QST |
| GST and PST in British Columbia | Sale of $1,000 | $50.00 GST and $70.00 PST where PST applies |
| Employer payroll cost, Ontario | Salary of $85,000 | $4,646.45 CPP and $1,572.30 EI |
Rates depend on the province where the sale is taxed. A product set up for Ontario can be wrong for a Quebec customer, and a tax code that’s right for one product can be wrong for the next, so test more than once.
How do you test a program before you pay for it?
Enter the same sale in a trial and compare. Put in a $1,000 Ontario sale and you should see $130 of HST. Try the same invoice with a Quebec customer, and you should see $50 GST and $99.75 QST. If the software shows a single blended figure, find out how it splits them, because you report the two taxes separately.
Our GST and HST calculator and the GST and QST calculator give the answer for any amount. Note that our BC sales tax tool applies the 12% combined rate to everything, so it can overstate tax on goods that carry GST only.
Payroll deserves the same test. Put an employee on $85,000 in Ontario and compare the contributions with the payroll deductions calculator. Employer CPP should be $4,646.45 and employer EI $1,572.30 on our numbers. Then look at how your remittances line up using the payroll remittance calculator.
If the trial gets one of these wrong, walk away. It’s a cheap test and it takes ten minutes.
What should you do the week before tax time?
Run a short checklist. Export a sales tax report for the period and compare it with your own tally. Check that every sale has the right province on it. Look at the payroll summary against the pay stubs you actually issued. And save a full copy of the books somewhere you control, because the software’s own copy only helps if the company and your subscription are still around. It’s a dull hour, but it’s a lot cheaper than a letter from the CRA.
Mistakes and limits
The most avoidable mistake is leaving the default tax codes untouched. Treat them as a starting point, since a wrong province at sign-up means every invoice carries the wrong tax, and rates do change, so run your test again whenever one does.
Also, don’t assume the software files for you. It prepares the numbers, and you or your accountant still file. Finally, keep your own backup of the books. If you cancel the subscription, find out first what you can still export.
We haven’t compared prices, features or named products, because we couldn’t verify any of that, and products change faster than a page like this can follow. If you want a name to try, QuickBooks is one example of a program Canadian small businesses use. That’s a mention, not a recommendation.
What should the 2027 test numbers be?
Payroll limits change on January 1, so rerun the payroll test. For an Ontario employee on $85,000, employer CPP in 2026 is $4,646.45 and employer EI is $1,572.30. For 2027, using the CRA ceilings of $76,700 and $87,400 for CPP, the 5.75% first-tier rate shown on this site's 2027 table and the $70,800 EI ceiling, the same salary gives employer CPP of $4,541.00 and employer EI of $1,625.57. If your program shows different totals, check its payroll table version before the first pay run of 2027.
The tax filing side runs on a different calendar. The CRA says NETFILE and ReFILE are open until January 29, 2027 for the 2025 tax year, and we found no certified list yet for the 2026 year. For the tax-return side of software choice, see comparing tax software, and for records rules see CRA rules for keeping records in accounting software and the 2026 vs 2027 numbers page.
What this page is based on
Certification details are from the CRA pages on certified tax software and NETFILE, and the ReFILE window from the certified software page. The 5% GST, 13% Ontario HST and 9.975% QST come from our sales tax data, which cites Revenu Quebec and the CRA. Payroll figures use the CRA limits for 2026 and 2027 from its CPP and EI pages. All were checked in November 2026. We have no link with the CRA or any software maker.
Frequently asked questions
Does the CRA approve accounting software?
We could not find a CRA list that certifies bookkeeping features. The CRA certifies tax filing software every year so that it can send returns electronically, and that is a different product. If a vendor says "CRA approved", ask which service they mean and read the CRA certified list yourself.
What does CRA certified software mean?
The CRA says it means the software can calculate a return and file it electronically. The CRA also says it does not review developers' privacy policies, so read them, and confirm you have the latest version. Certification says nothing about invoices, HST accounts or payroll in accounting software.
What should I test first?
Sales tax for your province, and employer CPP and EI if you have staff. Enter a $1,000 sale and compare with a calculator: Ontario should show $130.00 of HST, and Quebec $50.00 of GST and $99.75 of QST. If the program gets a basic case wrong, fix the tax settings before trusting the reports.
How much GST and QST on $1,000 in Quebec?
$50.00 of GST plus $99.75 of QST, so $149.75 in total tax. The QST is worked out on the price before GST, and the two taxes are reported separately, so check how your software splits them. If it shows one blended figure, find out how it separates the amounts.
Does the software file my return for me?
It prepares the figures, and some products can send returns, but you or your accountant still have to file and check the result. Accounting software feeds the numbers, while tax software produces the return, so a sole proprietor should check that the two agree before sending anything to the CRA.
- Self-employed taxes in Canada: income, CPP and GST
How tax works when you are self-employed in Canada: reporting income and expenses, paying both halves of CPP, instalments and when to register for GST