Income Tax software programs for 2021 tax year

[ssfc72]

Again this year, I am going to use 2 different Income Tax programs

The MyTaxExpress program does have a version for both the Windows and Linux OS.  I use the Linux version.
Last year the program ran fine under Linux except it would not generate a pdf of the finished Tax Return and gave me an error message. I notified the makers of the program but they could give me no help. After I had filed my Tax Return, I found later that I could generate a pdf of the Return. The software makers must have made an update to the program. The tax program costs $7

The StudioTax program is a Windows OS only program. I like it better and it used to be free but last year it cost $15, so I used the MyTaxExpress program.

Yesterday I saw on a YouTube video a Linux program called Bottles, that allows you to run Windows programs/software on a Linux OS computer.
Bottles uses the WINE software and creates a separate/bottle for each Windows program that you want to run under Linux.

I tried Bottles on my Mint 20.1 Distro computer and the MyTaxExpress, Windows version, installed fine and looked ok, but I didn't try to input any information into the forms.

The StudioTax (Windows OS) program tried to install but all the text in the install menus was missing, so I wasn't able to install StudioTax from my Mint Distro.  This same problem of not installing happened last year when I tried installing StudioTax using only the WINE program :-(
Edit: ok, I installed a newer version of Wine ( was ver 5, now version 7). I also installed Winetricks.
StudioTax still would not install using the Wine program.
I then tried using the Bottle program and after stumbling around for a bit, I got StudioTax to install. :-)
I haven't tried to input any income tax data into the StudioTax program, at this point. I will report back, later.

[ssfc72]

Ok, got my 2021 Income Tax Return done.

StudioTax
No problems using this Windows based software, under Windows 10.

Running under Linux using WINE and the program installed but I believe it complained about missing MSFonts and there was no text showing. Therefore useless.
Ran using the "Bottles" software ( uses Wine, I believe) the program install and the tax pages displayed but there was garbled text on spots, on the pages.  Again, not usable

MyTaxExpress
I downloaded the Linux appl program and it ran well under Mint 20.1.

The only con was that for filling out the Donations schedule page, it only provide one entry were you put in the total of all your donations. With StudioTax the Donations page provided a page were you put in each donation amount and who it was for and then it totalled all the donations for you, and added that to the total donations entry on the tax Form.
I sent a notice to MyTaxExpress about this deficiency and they replied to just use the Notes section of the tax return software to list the individual donations and their amounts,  Not very impressed because I still had to total up all the donations manually, to get a total donation amount for the tax Return.

Also, MyTaxExpress would not download my tax receipts from the CRA unless I had paid for the program. :-(  StudioTax allowed me to download my tax receipts. without having to pay for the program.

Anyway I did use MyTaxExpress to submit my taxes because it only cost $6.99 as compared to the $15 that StudioTax costs. 

[fox]

I continue to do mine on TaxFreeway. I do it on the Mac OS, but the version for Windows is actually cheaper ($12 vs $16 I think). This software will do NetFile as well. You can list donations and the software adds them up for you.

[William]

So, MyTaxExpress behaves differently on Linux vs Mac?

I'm collecting my tax stuffs now.  Question regarding RRSP:
Do you claim calendar year (Jan-Dec)?  Or, Mar-Dec last year, then Jan-Feb this year? 

[fox]

Ugh. I meant TaxFreeway, which doesn't have a Linux version. It probably runs on a virtual machine but I suspect it wouldn't run in Wine. I've never tried either.

Sorry, William. I'll fix my previous post.

[Jason]

Also, MyTaxExpress would not download my tax receipts from the CRA unless I had paid for the program. :-(  StudioTax allowed me to download my tax receipts. without having to pay for the program.

Anyway I did use MyTaxExpress to submit my taxes because it only cost $6.99 as compared to the $15 that StudioTax costs.

Thanks for your info, Bill! Regarding the above, you can go to CRA directly and download tax receipts (I assume you mean T4 slips and the like?). Not as handy as doing it through the program but the option is there. In any case, $7 is a pretty good deal! Even $15 is cheaper than some others. Is that $7 per return (i.e. person)?

I was one of the people that were bit by the data hack and it forced me to set up a new account. They weren't taking any chances on the new account. I had to come up with a different un-obvious username, passwords, verification questions, 2FA (via SMS, I believe) as well as proving who I was by giving information on my previous tax return. I think it took about an hour and most of it wasn't being on hold! I was actually impressed with the thoroughness despite how long it took except that if they just supported a 2FA athentication key it would be so much easier.

[fox]

You can claim any RRSP contribution you made in 2021, and up to March 2022, on your 2021 return, unless you claimed an early 2021 contribution on your 2020 return (i.e. you can't claim a given contribution twice).

[William]

You can claim any RRSP contribution you made in 2021, and up to March 2022, on your 2021 return, unless you claimed an early 2021 contribution on your 2020 return (i.e. you can't claim a given contribution twice).

Yes, I know the rule, and I've been doing Mar-Dec and Jan-Feb so far.  But, I've been wondering why you would choose one over the other.

[ssfc72]

Yes the $7 is for only 1 Return. The next option is $14 which is good for 10 Returns.

Thanks for your info, Bill! Regarding the above, you can go to CRA directly and download tax receipts (I assume you mean T4 slips and the like?). Not as handy as doing it through the program but the option is there. In any case, $7 is a pretty good deal! Even $15 is cheaper than some others. Is that $7 per return (i.e. person)?

[buster]

"I've been wondering why you would choose one over the other."

Whichever is simpler. Since the early one's in a new year can be considered part of the previous year for tax purposes, it was simpler for me to finish with them as they became claimable.

However, as we got into the grove over the years, we started doing the maximum we could in January for that coming year. So our rrsp started working earlier. (I was a very limited amount because of my pension deductions. But whatever Marilyn earned we estimated the largest we could protect we put into rsps. At that time if you put in too much, it didn't matter, as long as you claimed only the maximum amount allowed. But we haven't been able to do any rsps since 1996 -no earned income.)

[buster]

I'd like to add that time is the investor's friend. Some of our rsps sat and grew for 30 years before we were forced by law to take out a certain amount each year. So get the money invested as soon as you can. Short term rsps probably don't make much sense.

The tax free account is an alternative except you get no refund.

[William]

I'd like to add that time is the investor's friend. ...

Unless you invested in a company and got wiped out. 

[buster]

"Unless you invested in a company and got wiped out.  "

If it's your own company, not much you can do about that. But for investing in stocks, bonds and whatever, the main rule is diversity to spread the risk. Sorry about your loss William.

[Jason]

Unless you invested in a company and got wiped out. 

That sucks. Sorry it happened to you. Although I have too little money to ever invest it, I'm more of an "invest in me!" kind of guy, from what I've read, Buster is right.

Is the company one we would know or was a local startup? Yes, I'm very nosey. I'm guessing it was a tech company, though.

[William]

So, no retirement for me.  I have to work until death.  Might as well, since I'm a workaholic.  But, there is difference between "have to" vs "want to".