Hello to everyone who saw me this morning on CityTV Breakfast Television where I was briefly talking about tax software and how simple it can be to file your taxes online with Netfile. As mentioned, I have created this post as a quick recap on the tax software that was discussed and some general points to help you in deciding which one is right for you.
Quicktax – Can file 5 returns or unlimited for income under $25,000
Benefits:
-The design of the interface looks polished and is appealing which can make it less intimidating for people to use.
-User friendly interview wizard to guide you through the process and it also explains what it is that you are doing now in a down-to-earth language.
-More support for corporate and business tax filing as there are multiple versions you can buy, such as Quicktax for incorporated businesses, which provides the necessary forms as well as tax advices specifically for corporate users.
Drawbacks:
-On average it is more than double the price compared to others. Quicktax Standard can usually be found for about $39.99 at stores on average as an example.
Ufile – Can File 6 returns or unlimited for income under $25,000
Benefits:
-Inexpensive as you can find this for about $19.99 or less at stores.
-Integrated feature called “Maxback†that tries to cross analyze your entire family’s tax return to try and find tax saving options As an example, imagine having a family and doing everyone’s return individually. It could be that by combining your expenses of some sort would allow you to receive a bigger refund and the program will help you to determine just that.
Drawbacks:
-Interface is not as intuitive, due to the tree structure presentation, which can make it intimidating for some to learn. For a lot of people they need a lot of visual reference to really feel comfortable in using a software product and seeing a lot of plain/generic forms often overwhelms people due to the fact that it looks too technical, so to speak.
TaxTron.ca – Free tax filing for people with income under $30,000
Benefits:
-Has support for both a Windows and Mac Version
-Inexpensive to purchase a license for people over $30,000 as you can purchase a single license for about $13 or ten licenses for about $25.
Drawbacks:
-Windows version can only do personal income tax whereas in the mac version you have the option of purchasing a version that does corporate taxes.
-This software has an extremely unappealing presentation compared to the others. For example, the windows version and looks like something right out of the Windows 3.1 days.
-Other than checking for basic possible errors it doesn’t really have the same amount of tips or features to really aid people in getting the best return possible compared to others.
Once you decide on which tax software is for you and complete the process in creating a return, it is time to file it online with Netfile. You can visit my old post on how to file a tax return online with Netfile as it really is a simple process. Feel free to ask any questions or if you are someone who wants to throw in your 2 cents to help others as well feel free to do so. Make sure to file your taxes on time as well as there are only a few days left to do so. I hope this helps to make it easier for people who were initially too intimidated to file their taxes online.