Free Tax Preparation Software

[Mockingbird]

It's that time of the year again.
Here are some free tax preparation software providers in no particular order.

1) StudioTax (http://www.studiotax.com/en/main.htm)

2) UDoTaxes (http://www.udotaxes.com/eng/index.htm)

3) Taxman (http://pages.pacificcoast.net/~gthompson/) (No NetFile)

4) Turbo Tax (http://turbotax.intuit.ca/tax-software/free-tax-software.jsp) (Some restrictions apply)
[According to their website..]
To qualify for TurboTax Free, you must:
• Receive T-slips such as T4s and T4As
• Have tip income or pension income to claim
• Not be self-employed
• Not have investment income
• Get standard federal & provincial deductions


MB

[martinv]

A big thumbs up for Studio Tax! Have been using it for several years without any problems.

[RedRose]

Does Ufile still offer that one day for those over 60 still?
It is usually for one day at the end of Feb.

[leoc2]

Does Ufile still offer that one day for those over 60 still?
It is usually for one day at the end of Feb.

From Ufile Site:
http://www.drtax.ca/en/UFile/tips-and-tools/UFilefreefiling.aspx


Are you or your spouse over 60 years of age?

Have you heard about Free File Friday?

If you are a taxpayer aged 60 and over, you too can prepare your tax return for free! To qualify for Free File Friday and prepare your tax return online at no charge, you or your spouse must be 60 years of age or over.

Simply log on to UFile ONLINE and start a new file (or open your pre-existing file if you already used UFile last year) on Free File Friday, February 24th, 2012.

Enter this code 543P292 in the Special Offers page found in your UFile program, located near the bottom of the QuikClik Navigator.

File your return whenever you are ready. Remember, you do not need to file your return on Free File Friday.

[RoR]

I don't think TurboTax has those listed restrictions. They have a personal and small business option where you can enter all that, be self employed and have investment income.

I was on there today.

[GoldStone]

Here's how I've been doing my returns for the last 5 years:

1. Download StudioTax.
2. Download free version of TaxFreeway (no Netfile).
3. Complete the returns in both apps.
4. Make sure the numbers match.
5. Netfile in StudioTax.

Full version of TaxFreeway is $9.95 for up to 20 returns.
http://www.taxfreeway.ca/

[MrMatt]

Here's how I've been doing my returns for the last 5 years:

3. Complete the returns in both apps.
4. Make sure the numbers match.


Why do you do your returns twice in an app? Do the numbers often match?

Personally I do my taxes once on paper, then in the app.

[Eclectic12]

Why do you do your returns twice in an app? Do the numbers often match?

Personally I do my taxes once on paper, then in the app.

The reason I could see doing the return twice in two different apps is to check the numbers. I'd expect the two apps to have matching numbers - just like paper return compared to app return.


Why do the return on paper? Doesn't this add a lot of manual calculations that take time?
I'd rather focus on the details instead of the calculations.


Cheers

[GoldStone]

Why do you do your returns twice in an app? Do the numbers often match?
Are you kidding? I expect them to ALWAYS match to a penny. If they don't match, it means one of two things:

a. One of the apps has a bug
or
b. I made a data entry mistake in one the apps

And that's the whole point of this exercise. Catch software bugs or my own mistakes.

In 5 years that I've been doing this, I caught one bug in StudioTax. I entered my kid's fitness amount in one of the StudioTax forms. ST applied the amount to the federal form but not to Ontario form. I think it was the first year Ontario introduced fitness tax credit.


Personally I do my taxes once on paper, then in the app.
Paper return? No thanks. Time-consuming, error-prone, messy, annoying, and very much 20th century.

[slacker]

I use Studiotax for 3 years now without issues. I paypal them $10 per return I do. I encourage you to do the same.

[zylon]

There used to be tax preparation software that would allow you to complete the return, and pay only when ready to file. I forget the name of it.

Is there one like it out there now?

Thanks

[GoldStone]

There used to be tax preparation software that would allow you to complete the return, and pay only when ready to file. I forget the name of it.

Is there one like it out there now?

Yes, TaxFreeway. You only pay if you want to Netfile.
http://www.taxfreeway.ca/

But... this is "Free Tax Preparation Software" thread. Go back to OP. It lists software that is completely free.

[zylon]

But... this is "Free Tax Preparation Software" thread. Go back to OP. It lists software that is completely free.

Thanks again.
Reading the responses in this thread, there seems to be some disagreement about what is free and what isn't.

[GoldStone]

I see some disagreement up-thread about TurboTax restrictions. That's all.

There is no disagreement about StudioTax. It works great and it's completely free. No restrictions.

[MrMatt]

Are you kidding? I expect them to ALWAYS match to a penny. If they don't match, it means one of two things:

a. One of the apps has a bug
or
b. I made a data entry mistake in one the apps

And that's the whole point of this exercise. Catch software bugs or my own mistakes.

In 5 years that I've been doing this, I caught one bug in StudioTax. I entered my kid's fitness amount in one of the StudioTax forms. ST applied the amount to the federal form but not to Ontario form. I think it was the first year Ontario introduced fitness tax credit.


Paper return? No thanks. Time-consuming, error-prone, messy, annoying, and very much 20th century.

Well I do it on paper to make sure I get all the details entered correctly, check for bugs, data errors etc.
I only enter in in tax software for netfile

[GoldStone]

Well I do it on paper to make sure I get all the details entered correctly, check for bugs, data errors etc.
I only enter in in tax software for netfile
To each its own, I guess. What you do doesn't make any sense to me. There is a reason it's called Tax Preparation Software rather than Tax Filing Software.

Do you hand-write your emails before you type them on the computer? :p

[MrMatt]

To each its own, I guess. What you do doesn't make any sense to me. There is a reason it's called Tax Preparation Software rather than Tax Filing Software.

Do you hand-write your emails before you type them on the computer? :p

If you're watching for completeness and mistakes it is better to use different methods.
Doing it on paper manually and then in software are more likely to catch them.

Also doing them on paper gives you a great feel for how things come together. If you don't actually do the calculations you won't see the full picture.

[groceryalerts]

I use Studiotax for 3 years now without issues. I paypal them $10 per return I do. I encourage you to do the same.

That is great that you support their software developments