Income Tax Programs for Tax Year 2017

[ssfc72]

It's that time of year again and the usual suspects for software programs, to calculate your 2017 Tax Year, Income taxes are:

MyTaxExpress, found at mytaxexpress.com

The software program is a Windows OS exe download but it does run under Linux using the WINE emulator program.
The cost is $6.99 per return.  If your Income, under Line 150 of the Tax Return, is under $25,000  then there is no cost to use the software.
The software is free to download and use but you will need to pay for the program, if you want to print or File the Return.

StudioTax, found at studiotax.com
This software will only run under the Windows OS, but it is totally free to download and use.

The CRA website will not have Income Tax software programs Certified, until Feb 14,  but you can go ahead and download these programs and use them, ahead of this time.
Once Certified, the Income Tax programs can be easily updated to their Certified versions.

Bill

[William Park]

I use SimpleTax.ca.  It's browser based, at least the frontend.  They accept donation, and I donate based on how much I get back from Government.

[Jason]

Thanks for the recommendations, guys. Now just have to get 2016 taxes done then I can do last year's

[ssfc72]

Yikes!  You still have to file your 2016 Tax Return?

[Jason]

Yeah, but it's not a big deal. We don't owe anything. Legally, you're not even required to submit tax forms if you don't have income. But it's still worth it since we can't get certain credits (e.g. HST) otherwise. I'm not bragging; it's all my fault but I thought it was funny

[ssfc72]

I prefer the download and use of an Income Tax program, on my computer.

I don't trust having my personal information (SIN, DOB, Address, etc) going out to the Server of some business.  There have been too many instances of Hackers breaking into a Business Server and grabing the Data off the Server.

I use SimpleTax.ca.  It's browser based, at least the frontend.  They accept donation, and I donate based on how much I get back from Government.

[ssfc72]

The CRA has now certified some of the Income Tax programs.  StudioTax 2017 has been certified.
https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/e-services-individuals/netfile-overview/certified-software-netfile-program.html

[William Park]

I prefer the download and use of an Income Tax program, on my computer.

Then, you're limited to

• TurboTax Free, StudioTax for free versions, and
• TurboTax, UFile for paid versions

All on Windows.

[ssfc72]

See my first post above  :-)
MyTaxExpress is a desktop program and runs on Linux using wine.

[William Park]

I'd prefer native OS.  Since my Windows laptop broke some time ago, I'm limited to online, right now.  I don't feel like buying a Windows desktop/laptop just for Income Tax.  That would eat up any refund.

[William Park]

See my first post abovr.  :-)
MyTaxExpress is a desktop program and runs on Linux using wine.

myTaxExpress is not certified for 2017 (yet).

[fox]

The tax program I have been using for the last few years is TaxFreeway, available for Windows and Mac. I tried installing it in a CrossOver Linux bottle using the Windows version. I got it to install, but unfortunately it gave an error when I tried to run it. It does, however, install and run in the VirtualBox virtual machine I had set up in Ubuntu.

[ssfc72]

Nice!  Is it Win 7, that you are running as a virtual OS on your Host Ubuntu?

[fox]

It is, but TaxFreeway comes in one version that works in Windows 7-10 and another that works in XP or Vista. Cost is $10 if your income is above a certain level; free if not. Nice thing about it is that when you use it in a subsequent year, it has an option to load your personal data. Or you can do so from RevCan's website if you register there.

[ssfc72]

OK, I have been using both MyTaxExpress, under Mint Linux and Studio Tax under Win 10.

Discovered right off the bat, that MyTaxExpress won't let you input your Income Tax infotmation/Slips directly from the CRA Database, without having to purchase the program!!!

I tried to download the CRA data, before I had even any income, entered on the program and it popped up a message that you had to pay for the program, before it would allow this.
So effectively, anyone with a low enough income, that does not need to pay for the program, would have to pay, if they wanted to download the CRA tax data???

So, I just manually input the information from my tax Tslips.

The MyTaxExpress works well, other than the above,

Studio Tax worked well and since it is totally free to use, there was no problem downloading my CRA tax data.