TurboTax Canada

What TurboTax Canada does

TurboTax Canada prepares and electronically submits eligible Canadian personal tax returns through online, downloadable and mobile versions. It asks questions about the tax year, then adds forms based on the answers.

The service supports self-employment, investment and rental income. A refund ticker updates the refund or balance owing as information is entered, and a pre-filing review checks for errors and possible savings.

Fees and plans

The Free plan costs free for simple tax situations. Do It Yourself Free is also free, billed per return, but excludes many deductions and investment or self-employment income. Deluxe, Premier and Self-Employed online plans have no listed prices. Deluxe covers donations, medical and employment expenses; Premier adds capital gains, investment and foreign income; Self-Employed adds self-employment, side-gig, freelance and rental income.

Desktop Basic costs C$27 one-time and includes four returns, federal and provincial returns including Quebec, Forms mode and Windows support. Desktop Standard costs C$45 one-time and includes eight returns, 400-plus credits and deductions, and spouse or dependant optimization. Desktop Premier costs C$100 one-time and includes 12 returns, stocks, bonds, ESPs, mutual funds and rental property income and expenses.

Do It Yourself Deluxe costs C$30 one-time per return; Do It Yourself Premier costs C$50 one-time per return; Do It Yourself Self-Employed costs C$70 one-time per return. Desktop Home & Business costs C$150 one-time and includes 12 returns, self-employed income and taxes, and business deductions. These desktop products are Windows-only.

Where it runs

TurboTax lists Android, iOS, web, macOS, Windows and API platforms. Online filing works in current browsers on PC or Mac; downloadable desktop products are offered for Windows devices only.

The mobile app scans and organizes personal and business receipts. Filers can move between a laptop, the mobile app and a tablet and continue where they stopped.

Protection and rules, as TurboTax publishes them

TurboTax says it uses multi-factor authentication with a password plus a one-time code or identity questions. It says stored information is encrypted and returns sent to the CRA use TLS encryption.

The desktop license says personal information is handled under Intuit’s privacy statement and applicable Canadian law, including PIPEDA or provincial data-protection rules. TurboTax describes its software as proprietary under a limited personal license; its online terms prohibit copying, redistribution, reverse engineering and commercial return preparation.

The CRA lists TurboTax Online as NETFILE-certified for tax years 2023 through 2025 and lists Auto-fill, NETFILE, ReFILE and T1135 services.

Strengths

Questions guide the filing process, and TurboTax can search more than 400 credits and deductions. Users can import prior-year TurboTax data and connect CRA My Account to bring in tax slips and personal information.

RRSP and pension optimizers address contributions and pension splitting. Audit support is included, and the mobile app keeps receipt records organized.

Catches and limits

For 2025 returns, the CRA lists unsupported electronic transmission for emigrant returns and forms including T1134, T2203, T217 and T2057. Check whether the return type and forms you need are supported.

Desktop products require Windows, while online filing depends on a current browser. Refund timing published by TurboTax is generally 8–10 days for CRA direct deposit and up to six weeks for mailed cheques.

Paid desktop and do-it-yourself plans are billed per return or include a stated number of returns, so the plan structure matters when comparing costs.

Who may want another option

TurboTax may not fit someone needing an unsupported electronic form, a non-Windows desktop product or a clearly posted price for Deluxe, Premier or Self-Employed online plans.

Verdict

TurboTax Canada suits Canadian filers who want guided questions, CRA data import, deduction searches and continuity across web and mobile. Its free options cover simple situations, while paid tiers add deductions, investments, foreign income, self-employment and rental income.

The main trade-offs are unlisted prices on several online plans, Windows-only downloadable software and CRA-listed transmission limits for certain 2025 forms. Filers with those requirements may need a different service.

Questions