Best Free Tax Software in Canada: Wealthsimple Tax, StudioTax and More

Filing a Canadian tax return doesn’t have to cost anything. Several programs are free for every return they handle, a few paid products have free tiers for simple returns, the CRA runs its own free SimpleFile service for some low-income filers, and volunteers at free tax clinics will prepare a simple return for people with a modest income. This page compares those free routes and who each one suits; our full tax software reviews and comparisons cover each product in more depth.

Quick answer: Wealthsimple Tax’s Basic plan is our pick as the best all-around free tax software for most Canadians, because it covers self-employment, rental income and Quebec’s TP-1 return without requiring payment. StudioTax and GenuTax are strong choices for Windows desktop users outside Quebec.

Free tax software comparison

All four download your slips through the CRA’s Auto-fill my return service and send the return through NETFILE.

Wealthsimple Tax (formerly SimpleTax)

Suits: most Canadians, especially anyone wanting web or mobile access, including Quebec filers

Wealthsimple Tax is our pick as the best free tax software in Canada for the majority of filers. Originally launched as SimpleTax in 2012 and acquired by Wealthsimple in 2019, its Basic plan kept the pay-what-you-want model and has continued expanding its feature set. On the free Basic plan you get employment, pension and investment income, capital gains (including crypto), self-employment and rental income, RRSP and FHSA deductions, medical expenses, the disability tax credit, the T1135 foreign property form and Quebec’s TP-1 return, with a guided interview, prior-year import and spousal returns.

The limit of the free plan is support: audit protection and expert review come only with the paid Plus ($40) and Pro ($80) plans, and Pro is not currently available to Quebec filers. The plans and what each one adds are set out in the Wealthsimple Tax review.

StudioTax

Suits: Windows desktop users comfortable with tax forms (outside Quebec)

StudioTax has been available since the early 2000s and remains one of the most capable free tax programs for Windows. It runs on a voluntary donation model (suggested $15) but places no feature restrictions on non-paying users: rental income (T776), self-employment (T2125) and capital gains are all included, for up to 20 returns per install. It works offline and needs no account; an internet connection is needed only to NETFILE.

It fits experienced filers who prefer a desktop application, families or volunteers filing several returns, and anyone who would rather not use a web-based service. It is a weaker fit for first-time filers (the form-based interface has a learning curve), Mac and mobile users, and Quebec residents, since it has no TP-1 return. The full feature list is in the StudioTax review.

GenuTax Standard

Suits: landlords and Windows users wanting unlimited free returns (outside Quebec)

GenuTax is another donation-based free Windows desktop program. Its advantages over StudioTax are that it has no return limit and a particularly strong rental income (T776) implementation with full CCA class support, which suits landlords with several properties and anyone filing more returns than StudioTax allows. Like StudioTax, it doesn’t handle Quebec’s TP-1 return and runs only on Windows, and its navigator-and-forms interface assumes you know which forms you need. Our GenuTax review covers its rental features in detail.

CloudTax Free

Suits: simple T4-only returns on mobile, for up to 2 returns

CloudTax’s free tier covers employment and pension income only, for up to 2 returns per account. Self-employment, rental income, investments beyond basic T5 and Quebec now require CloudTax’s paid, expert-assisted “Review & File” or “Done-For-You” tiers rather than a flat-fee self-serve upgrade, a bigger jump in cost and process than in past years. Its advantage is a polished native mobile app.

The free tier suits salaried employees with T4 income and basic RRSP contributions and nothing else, filing up to 2 returns. For a return that simple, Wealthsimple Tax may still be the stronger all-around fit, since it handles everything CloudTax’s paid tiers do for free, unless the mobile-first experience matters most. The paid tiers are explained in the CloudTax review.

Free tiers of paid software

Some paid products advertise a free version that covers only simple returns and asks you to upgrade as soon as you add something else:

If adding an RRSP receipt or an investment slip triggers an upgrade prompt, the return is no longer free on that product; Wealthsimple Tax, StudioTax and GenuTax don’t charge for those.

CRA SimpleFile (formerly File My Return)

For low-income Canadians with very simple, unchanged tax situations, the CRA offers SimpleFile: free filing with no software required, available by phone (SimpleFile by Phone), online (SimpleFile Digital) or on paper (SimpleFile by Paper). It was formerly called File My Return.

Key points:

• Phone and paper are invite-only: the CRA sends eligible individuals a letter with a PIN; SimpleFile Digital is available to eligible individuals even without an invitation
• Designed for Canadians who file similar returns each year (seniors, fixed-income recipients)
• No internet required for the phone option
• Not available to anyone outside the simple, unchanged-situation eligibility criteria

If you are eligible, SimpleFile is the simplest filing option. If you are not, one of the software options above or a free tax clinic is the free route.

Free tax clinics (CVITP)

Under the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP), CRA-trained volunteers prepare and file simple returns for free for people with a modest income. The income guidelines are roughly $35,000 or less for a single person and $45,000 or less for a couple, and the return must be a simple one. Clinics run in community centres, libraries and charities, mostly from February to April, and many offer virtual or drop-off service as well as in-person appointments.

The program is aimed at low-income individuals and families, seniors on a fixed income, newcomers to Canada, students, Indigenous communities, and people who aren’t comfortable filing online. To find one, search “free tax clinics” on canada.ca and enter your postal code to see nearby clinics with their dates and eligibility. Bring your T-slips, ID and last year’s Notice of Assessment.

Why file even with no income

Filing a return is what the CRA uses to pay most income-tested benefits, so a return can be worth filing even with little or no income. Filing is what triggers:

• the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (formerly the GST/HST credit)
• the Canada Child Benefit for parents
• provincial benefits such as the Ontario Trillium Benefit
• the Canada Workers Benefit for low-income workers
• the Guaranteed Income Supplement for seniors
• a record of earned income, which builds RRSP contribution room for future years

Common questions about free filing

Is free software CRA-approved? Yes. All NETFILE software, free or paid, must be certified by the CRA and goes through the same validation process.

Will I get the same refund? Yes. The tax calculation follows the same CRA rules in every certified product, so Wealthsimple Tax, TurboTax and StudioTax produce the same result for the same inputs. What differs is how much help the software gives you in finding everything to enter.

Where is my data stored? Web-based software keeps your return in the provider’s encrypted cloud (Wealthsimple Tax uses Canadian servers). StudioTax and GenuTax keep it on your own computer only, so it is as secure as that computer.

Can I switch software partway through? Yes. You can start in one product and finish in another; Auto-fill my return downloads your slips again in the new software.

Free option by need

Bottom line

Wealthsimple Tax’s Basic plan is our pick for the vast majority of filers: a modern interface, mobile access, full feature coverage including Quebec, and no required payment, so the main reasons to pay are extra returns, audit protection or expert review. StudioTax and GenuTax are free alternatives for Windows users outside Quebec who prefer desktop software, GenuTax especially for landlords. CloudTax’s free tier is narrow, and its paid tiers now send self-employment and rental income to expert-assisted plans. If paying for a guided interview or support appeals, our best tax software in Canada picks cover the paid products too, and the Wealthsimple Tax vs TurboTax vs H&R Block comparison sets the free plan against its two biggest paid rivals. When you’re ready to send the return, NETFILE vs paper filing explains the submission options.