UFile is one of Canada’s longest-running tax programs, and its pricing is built around households: the first return on a purchase costs the most and each additional family member costs less, with Quebec’s TP-1 return included at no extra charge. This review covers its plans, the free tier, what it handles and its CarryForward feature. It is one of our Canadian tax software reviews.
Quick overview
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Price | $0 (Free, for eligible simple/low-income returns) / from $20.95 (Online) / from $32.95 (Premium) |
| Family returns | Priced per return, at a declining rate for each additional family member on one purchase |
| Platform | Web, Desktop (Windows) |
| Mobile | ✅ iOS, Android |
| CRA Auto-fill | ✅ |
| NETFILE | ✅ |
| Quebec returns | ✅ Included at no extra cost |
| CarryForward | ✅ Import prior year data |
| Self-employed support | ✅ T2125 |
| T3 / investment support | ✅ Strong |
Rating
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Price/value | ★★★★½ |
| Ease of use | ★★★★ |
| Feature completeness | ★★★★ |
| Family filing value | ★★★★ |
| Investment handling | ★★★★ |
| Quebec support | ★★★★★ |
| Overall | ★★★★ |
UFile scores highest for Quebec support and well for price, mainly because of its family pricing, while its interface asks a little more of the filer than a full guided interview. For what goes into each score, see how we rate tax software.
Pricing Tiers
| Plan | Price | Who it covers | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| UFile Free | $0 | Students, and individuals/families with total income of $20,000 or less | Basic employment, education |
| UFile Online | From $20.95 (first/“family head” return); additional family members added at lower per-return rates | Per family member | Full feature coverage: investments, RRSP, rental, self-employment |
| UFile PREMIUM | From $32.95 | Per return, with family-member pricing available | Everything in Online plus additional support/features |
| UFile for Windows | Confirm current price at ufile.ca | Multiple returns per licence | Desktop version, offline filing |
Free tier eligibility: UFile offers free filing to individuals and families with total income of $20,000 or less, and to post-secondary students; confirm current eligibility rules at ufile.ca, as they are set by UFile and can change. Plan prices also change each season (see why prices need checking).
On family pricing: UFile’s per-return model charges the most for the first (“family head”) return, with additional family members (spouse, dependants) added to the same purchase at progressively lower rates. This still tends to work out cheaper for a household than TurboTax’s flat per-return pricing, but it is not one flat price covering unlimited family members, so confirm the exact current per-person rates at ufile.ca before budgeting for a specific family size.
What UFile Handles Well
| Feature | UFile support |
|---|---|
| T4 employment income | ✅ Standard |
| T4A (pension, contract) | ✅ All box types |
| T5 investment income (dividends, interest) | ✅ Full support |
| T3 trust/ETF income | ✅ Including Box 42 ACB entries |
| Capital gains from securities | ✅ Schedule 3 with ACB tracking |
| RRSP contributions and deductions | ✅ Schedule 7 |
| TFSA (no entry required, just for info) | ✅ |
| Self-employment income (T2125) | ✅ Business + professional activities |
| Rental income (T776) | ✅ Full expenses, CCA |
| Home office expenses | ✅ T777/T2200 |
| Quebec TP-1 provincial return | ✅ Included, no extra cost |
| CarryForward from prior year | ✅ Import prior UFile data file |
| T1135 Foreign Income Verification | ✅ Yes |
| FHSA | ✅ 2023+ |
UFile vs TurboTax
UFile’s declining per-person price and free Quebec return usually make it the cheaper choice for a household, while TurboTax offers the more guided interview, audit protection and expert help that UFile doesn’t sell. The two are compared on price per family size, Quebec, investments and self-employment in UFile vs TurboTax.
Who Should Use UFile
| Profile | Is UFile a good fit? |
|---|---|
| Family with several people filing | ✅ Good value: declining per-person pricing for additional family members |
| Quebec resident | ✅ Quebec TP-1 included at no extra cost |
| Investor with T3/T5 slips | ✅ Strong investment income support |
| Self-employed, unincorporated business | ✅ Adequate: handles T2125 fully |
| Simple T4-only return, income under $20,000 | ✅ Free tier available |
| Need CPA review or audit protection | ❌ Not available; TurboTax and H&R Block sell these |
| Very complex business (corporation, HST/GST remittances) | ❌ Use professional software or a CPA |
CarryForward: A Closer Look
UFile’s CarryForward is a key competitive advantage for returning users:
| Data carried forward automatically | Notes |
|---|---|
| RRSP unused deduction room | From prior year NOA |
| Tuition carry-forward credits | Schedule 11 |
| Net capital loss carry-forwards | From Schedule 3 |
| Home Buyers’ Plan repayment amount | Annual HBP schedule |
| Lifelong Learning Plan balance | Annual LLP schedule |
| Prior CCA (capital cost allowance) classes | For rental property or business |
| Spouse/dependant information | Pre-populated |
For someone who has been using UFile for several years, the CarryForward eliminates substantial manual entry and reduces the risk of omitting carry-forward credits worth thousands of dollars.
Bottom line
UFile remains one of the better-value tax software options in Canada for families and Quebec residents. Its declining per-person pricing for additional family members on one purchase, plus Quebec TP-1 support at no extra cost, is a genuine advantage over TurboTax’s flat per-return pricing and Quebec add-on fee. The feature set covers everything from simple employment income to rental properties and cross-border investment slips. If you need audit protection or a professional review, TurboTax or H&R Block have those add-ons; UFile does not. Confirm current per-person pricing at ufile.ca before assuming a specific total for your household.
Related reading
- Best tax software in Canada, free and paid picks by situation
- Best free tax software in Canada, including UFile’s free tier alongside the fully free programs
- Wealthsimple Tax review