Best Tax Software in Canada: Free and Paid Options Compared

Most Canadians don’t need to pay anything to file their taxes. Wealthsimple Tax’s Basic plan handles T4 employment income, investments, RRSP deductions, self-employment, rental income and Quebec’s TP-1 return for free, with CRA auto-fill that imports your slips. TurboTax and H&R Block are worth paying for if you have a genuinely complex return (multiple rental properties, stock options, foreign income), want a guided interview, or want audit or expert-review support. For the large majority of Canadians with straightforward tax situations, free software does the job as well as paid alternatives. These picks draw on our individual tax software reviews, each scored the same way (see how we rate tax software).

Our picks at a glance

These are the prices listed when the reviews were last checked; prices and plan names change each season, so confirm them on the provider’s site.

Feature comparison

Top picks

Best free: Wealthsimple Tax

The Basic plan is free with no feature locks on core filing: it handles the large majority of tax situations, including Quebec, without an upgrade, imports your slips through CRA auto-fill, carries last year’s return forward and optimizes your RRSP deduction and credits automatically. Its modern interface is a big part of the appeal. Paying is optional, for audit protection, more returns or expert review on the Plus and Pro plans. The Wealthsimple Tax review covers each plan, and our best free tax software in Canada roundup compares it with the other free options.

Best for complex returns: TurboTax

TurboTax’s step-by-step interview and thorough error checking are its strengths with complex situations such as multiple rental properties, stock options and foreign income, and its guided questions catch deductions others miss. That comes at a price: the free tier covers only simple T4 returns, and investments, rental income and self-employment each need a higher paid tier, with audit defence and Quebec as extra-cost add-ons. The tiers and what each includes are in the TurboTax Canada review.

Best free plus in-person: H&R Block

H&R Block is the only major option offering both DIY software and in-person preparation at its offices, so you can start online and escalate to a preparer if the return turns out harder than expected. Quebec’s TP-1 is included with no extra fee. Its online tiers and Peace of Mind audit protection are compared in the H&R Block tax software review, and the three biggest names go side by side in Wealthsimple Tax vs TurboTax vs H&R Block.

Best for families and Quebec: UFile

UFile charges the most for the first return on a purchase and less for each additional family member, and includes Quebec’s TP-1 at no extra cost, which tends to make it cheaper than per-return pricing for a household. It also has a free tier for students and low-income filers. Details are in the UFile review, and UFile vs TurboTax works through the family pricing.

Best desktop: StudioTax

StudioTax is free, works fully offline with no account, and supports every federal tax situation except Quebec’s TP-1 return, which makes it a fit for privacy-focused filers outside Quebec. Its interface is form-based rather than an interview. See the StudioTax review; GenuTax is the other free Windows option, with no return limit and strong rental income support, and CloudTax is a mobile-first choice for simple returns.

Which tax software fits your situation

Before and after you file

Whichever software you use, the paperwork is the same: your T-slips, RRSP and donation receipts, and records of medical, childcare and work-from-home expenses. Our guide to tax slips and documents explains each one, and the tax filing guides cover deadlines and what happens after the return is sent.

The single most useful feature in modern tax software is CRA auto-fill, which imports the slips the CRA has on file and so prevents the most common filing mistake, a missing income slip. How it works and its limits are summarised in CRA Auto-fill my return.

The bottom line

Wealthsimple Tax’s Basic plan is a common default for many filers: it’s free, handles nearly every tax situation including Quebec’s TP-1, and optimizes credits between spouses. If you want someone to physically prepare your return, H&R Block offers both online software and in-person filing, and includes Quebec at no extra charge. TurboTax’s Self-Employed price may not be necessary when Wealthsimple Tax’s Basic plan handles T2125 business income at no required cost, though TurboTax’s audit protection or expert-review add-ons could be worth it if you specifically want that support. Families filing several returns, especially in Quebec, can compare UFile’s per-family-member pricing.