TurboTax Canada Review: Pricing ($0–$70), Features and Free Alternatives
Updated
TurboTax is Intuit’s Canadian tax software and the most guided of the paid products: it asks plain-language questions and builds the return from your answers, with thorough error checking and optional expert help. This review covers its Do It Yourself tiers, the add-ons that raise the price, and the situations where paying for it makes sense. It is one of our Canadian tax software reviews.
TurboTax scores at the top for features, accuracy and guidance, and loses most of its points on price, since most returns beyond a simple T4 need a paid tier and Quebec costs extra. Each category is defined in our note on how we rate tax software.
Pricing tiers
TurboTax Canada organizes its products into three main paths: Do It Yourself (self-prepared, what most of this review covers), Expert Assist (self-prepared with unlimited expert help available) and Expert Full Service (a tax expert prepares and files for you). These are the prices listed at turbotax.intuit.ca when this review was last checked, and like all tax software prices and tier names change each season.
Do It Yourself, online
Tier
Price
Includes
Free
$0
Simple T4, basic credits only
Deluxe
$30
+ Investments (T5, T3), RRSP, donations
Premier
$50
+ Rental income, full deductions
Self-Employed
$70
+ Business expenses, HST/GST, business income
Add-ons
Add-On
What It Does
Quebec provincial (TP-1)
Adds Quebec provincial filing to a Do It Yourself return; the fee is shown at checkout
Audit Defence
A tax professional represents you if the CRA reviews or audits your return; the fee is shown at checkout
Additional returns
File for family members at an added per-return cost
Desktop (download)
TurboTax also sells a desktop download version (Standard/Premier/Home & Business tiers) that lets you file multiple returns per licence, useful for families. Desktop pricing changes independently of the online tiers; current prices are at turbotax.intuit.ca.
What each online tier handles
Tax Situation
Free
Deluxe
Premier
Self-Employed
T4 (employment)
✅
✅
✅
✅
Basic credits
✅
✅
✅
✅
T5 (investments)
❌
✅
✅
✅
T3 (trust income)
❌
✅
✅
✅
Capital gains
❌
✅
✅
✅
RRSP deductions
❌
✅
✅
✅
Donations
❌
✅
✅
✅
Medical expenses
❌
✅
✅
✅
Self-employment (T2125)
❌
❌
✅
✅
Rental income (T776)
❌
❌
✅
✅
Business expenses
❌
❌
❌
✅
HST/GST filing
❌
❌
❌
✅
Standout features
Interview-style guidance
TurboTax walks you through your tax return with plain-language questions:
Step
Example Question
Income
“Did you have a job last year?” → imports T4
Deductions
“Did you contribute to an RRSP?” → calculates optimal deduction
Life events
“Did you buy your first home?” → triggers FHSA/HBP credits
Review
“Here’s what we found” → shows potential missed items
Error checking
Check
What It Does
CRA rule validation
Ensures your return follows CRA rules
Unusual amounts
Flags numbers that seem too high/low
Missing forms
Alerts if referenced forms are absent
Optimization
Suggests if you’re leaving money on the table
Side-by-side couple
Shows optimal credit allocation
Audit Defence (paid add-on)
Feature
Details
Coverage
A tax professional is assigned to your case if the CRA reviews or audits your return
What they do
Prepare documents, communicate with CRA
Not included
Does not cover penalties or interest owing
Worth it?
Mainly for complex returns or audit anxiety; the price is shown at checkout
Pros and cons
Pros ✅
Comprehensive coverage: handles every Canadian tax situation
Interview-style: plain language, easy to follow
Quebec support: handles the TP-1 return, for an added fee
Audit defence: professional support if the CRA reviews your return, available as a paid add-on
Expert Assist / Expert Full Service: options to get expert help or have a professional file for you
Desktop version: file multiple returns per licence, good for families
Intuit ecosystem: trusted brand with a long history
Error detection: thorough review before filing
Cons ❌
Free version is very limited: most people need a paid tier such as Deluxe ($30)
Expensive for self-employed: $70 for full business features
Quebec costs extra: an added fee on top of the base price
Upsell-heavy: frequent prompts for upgrades and add-ons
Free alternatives cover the core features for most people
TurboTax vs Wealthsimple Tax
Wealthsimple Tax’s free Basic plan covers the same core filing (investments, self-employment, rental income and Quebec’s TP-1) that TurboTax charges for in its Deluxe, Premier and Self-Employed tiers, while both now sell paid audit protection and expert review. Prices, features and fit for both, plus H&R Block, are set side by side in Wealthsimple Tax vs TurboTax vs H&R Block.
When TurboTax is worth paying for
Situation
Worth it?
Why
Simple T4 return
❌ No
Wealthsimple Tax’s Basic plan is free
Investments + RRSP
❌ Probably not
Wealthsimple’s Basic plan handles these free
Self-employment
⚠️ Maybe
TurboTax’s guided interview is helpful for first-timers
Quebec taxes
⚠️ Compare cost
Wealthsimple Tax’s Basic plan also supports Quebec TP-1 for free; TurboTax’s Quebec add-on costs extra
Want audit protection
⚠️ Compare cost
Both TurboTax and Wealthsimple Tax offer paid audit protection add-ons/tiers
Expert review wanted
⚠️ Compare cost
Both TurboTax and Wealthsimple Tax offer paid expert-review tiers
Complex foreign income
✅ Yes
Stronger guidance for unusual situations
Who TurboTax suits
TurboTax fits Quebec residents who want a guided TP-1 return, first-time business owners who want hand-holding through the T2125, people who want Audit Defence coverage, filers with complex foreign income, anyone who wants a professional to review or fully prepare the return, and desktop users filing for several family members.
It is harder to justify for a simple T4 return, a tight budget or basic self-employment, which Wealthsimple Tax’s free Basic plan handles; for in-person help, H&R Block has offices; and families filing several returns can compare UFile’s per-family-member pricing in UFile vs TurboTax. For the full range of picks, see best tax software in Canada.