Doing it yourself
Tax software against an accountant
When filing software is genuinely enough, and when it quietly costs more than it saves. Individual T1 from $65, self employed from $350.
Prepared by HBT Accounting, a CPA led firm in CalgaryUpdated 5.0 on Google, 59 reviews
Software files a return. It does not make a decision
For a straightforward personal return built from a few slips, certified software does the job and HBT will say so. Paying a professional to retype a T4 adds nothing. The honest answer for many employed individuals is to file it themselves.
The calculation changes when there is business income, rental property, a corporation, foreign assets or anything from a previous year still unresolved. Software asks what you did. It does not tell you what you should have done, it does not know what you failed to claim, and it cannot answer a CRA letter on your behalf. That is where a fee starts paying for itself rather than costing.
Filing software and a professional compared
| Compared on | Tax software | An accountant |
|---|---|---|
| Simple return from slips | Tax softwareGenerally sufficient | An accountantAvailable from $65 if preferred |
| Business or rental income | Tax softwarePossible, with the rules left to you | An accountantSchedules and treatment handled, from $350 |
| Advice on what you should do | Tax softwareLimited to prompts in the software | An accountantYes, before decisions are final |
| Finds what you did not claim | Tax softwareOnly what you enter | An accountantReviews for what is missing |
| Can deal with the CRA for you | Tax softwareNo | An accountantYes, representation from $350 per hour |
| Cost | Tax softwareLow or free | An accountantPublished starting prices |
Where the line usually falls
Slips only, no business
Software is usually fine. An individual T1 here starts at $65 if you would rather not.
Business or rental income
Schedules, expense treatment and capital decisions start to matter. Self employed returns start at $350.
Anything the CRA has asked about
Software cannot correspond with the CRA. Representation is charged at $350 per hour.
How the work begins
Step 1: Tell us what is in the year
We will say plainly if software would serve you better.
Step 2: Priced from the published schedule
Confirmed before any paid work begins.
Step 3: Filed and explained
With anything worth changing next year flagged.
Is tax software good enough, or do I need an accountant?
For a simple personal return built from employment slips, certified software is generally sufficient. An accountant becomes worth the fee where there is self employment or business income, rental property, a corporation, foreign assets, a major life change, or unresolved prior years. Software records decisions already made. It does not advise on them, and it cannot represent you if the CRA asks questions.
Official sources
Individual T1 from $65+. Self employed from $350+. CRA representation from $350/hr. Amounts are starting prices plus GST or HST where it applies. Final fees depend on scope, and we quote a fixed fee once the work is clear. See starting fees. The first conversation is free and takes about 10 to 15 minutes.