Income Tax programs for 2023 filing

[ssfc72]

Here is a Link to a website that lists the Income Tax filing programs, available for the 2023 Income Tax year.

The programs are mostly run on Windows or Android phones but the one I have been using for years, MyTaxExpress does have a downloadable file for Linux computers (even though on this website it says for Windows).
The cost of MyTaxExpress is $6.99 and if your income is less than $10,000, then the program is free.

https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/digital-services-individuals/netfile-overview/certified-software-netfile-program.html

[Jason]

Thanks, Bill.

While I used a different program this year (because it was free for simple returns), I used MyTaxExpress last year and had no difficulties.

I couldn't log into my wife's tax account without knowing the total income in the previous return. I ran the MyTaxExpress version for the 2022 year and imported the files easily. As Bill mentions, it has versions for different tax years for Ubuntu and Debian-based Linux distros. They also say it can run under WINE but why bother?

I used Studiotax for the year before.

Previously to that TurboTax (formerly QuickTax) was my choice. All three programs are excellent, as based on previous versions although I found Turbotax the easiest. It's too bad they never raised the limit for the free version, families with disabilities are pushed beyond that.

I concur with recommending MyTaxExpress. There was one bug I noticed but it didn't affect the functioning. On one of the stubs, it listed one box twice. But it didn't cause a problem.

[ssfc72]

I finally got my Income Tax done and Efiled, using MyTaxExpress.
I had a little difficulty with the Efile Access Code not being valid. I thought the Efile Code that was input by my MyTaxExpress program was correct but I kept getting an invalid Code from Revenue Canada, when I tried to file the Return.
I had to log into my CRA account and get the Efile Code from there, and then my Return was accepted.
I think I had this same issue with last years Return using MyTaxExpress.

I then got an email saying that CRA had issued a Notice of Assessment. Luckily I again logged into my CRA account and I found that the NOA was for a few dollars more than what MyTaxExpress had calculated. So I had to pay CRA the few extra dollars.
I think I may have had this same issue last year, as well.
 

[William]

I finally got my Income Tax done and Efiled, using MyTaxExpress.
I had a little difficulty with the Efile Access Code not being valid. I thought the Efile Code that was input by my MyTaxExpress program was correct but I kept getting an invalid Code from Revenue Canada, when I tried to file the Return.
I had to log into my CRA account and get the Efile Code from there, and then my Return was accepted.
I think I had this same issue with last years Return using MyTaxExpress.

I then got an email saying that CRA had issued a Notice of Assessment. Luckily I again logged into my CRA account and I found that the NOA was for a few dollars more than what MyTaxExpress had calculated. So I had to pay CRA the few extra dollars.
I think I may have had this same issue last year, as well.
 

What other tax program have you tried before?  I've been using SimpleTax (web based), and it always matches Notice of Assessment.

[ssfc72]

Hi William.

I normally use StudioTax as a double check, to see if the tax programs agree with each other.
StudioTax is a Windows OS program but I think I was able to get it running under the Linux OS using Wine.

[buster]

Interesting Bill the part about your return not being accepted because of a filing code number. Then you went into your CRA account and fixed it. I have never had a problem filing except for one thing. I don't know the passwords for our CRA accounts anymore.

When the passwords had to be updated to more stringent standards I managed to do this by spending endless hours on the phone. But the next year I got them wrong, got locked out, and I've never bothered to fix this.

With my tax program, at one point, I could enter these CRA passwords and then all the info on any T3, T4, T5 slips, and various others, was entered for me automatically. The last two years I've had to enter it all manually, which is still much quicker than getting through on the phone to fix the passwords.

I use TurboTax, and have used this or its predecessors for over a quarter century and have no wish to change. It's easy, and carries info from year to year.

The money once a year to buy it is not even the price of one bottle of the brandy I buy, or a fill with gas, or a date at a restaurant, or any of the house bills we get monthly. In the long run it seems trivial. But it only runs on Windows.

On the Intuit site (TurboTax) it claims you can use a simple tax form for free, and it lists a multitude of the usual stuff you can enter. It will not handle anything like dividends or capital gains. Might be worth investigating. Don't know what the catch is.

[ssfc72]

Thanks Buster, for the info about Turbo Tax.

I will just leave myself a note for next year, with the Netfile code for 2024, which will be on my NOA for 2023. :-)

[Jason]

How does MyTaxExpress know your efile code? Does it grab it from the NOA on the previous return? It changes yearly.

[Jason]

In the long run it seems trivial. But it only runs on Windows.

You can use Turbotax on any OS by using the online version. I've done it previously with no issues.

On the Intuit site (TurboTax) it claims you can use a simple tax form for free, and it lists a multitude of the usual stuff you can enter. It will not handle anything like dividends or capital gains. Might be worth investigating. Don't know what the catch is.

There's no catch but I believe you have to be under a certain income per year (see my previous post).

[ssfc72]

I am not sure but I suspect MyTaxexpress maybe imports the old efile code from the previous years tax Return.
Maybe it then imports the proper efile code with your other info from your CRA account, when you tell MyTaxExpress to import the CRA info?

I will leave myself a note for next year, to pay attention to this.

How does MyTaxExpress know your efile code? Does it grab it from the NOA on the previous return? It changes yearly.

[Jason]

That might be why it didn't work; the Efile code changes each year. It'd be good if could import the code. I recall that I had to type it in.

CRA has plans to do simple returns automatically. They will use the stubs for the details and you will confirm it's accurate. Some European countries already do it. After all, they have the stubs for employment, pension, disability, etc.