Key takeaways
- Free for everyone (CRA list): Better Tax, GenuTax Standard, Wealthsimple Tax
- Want expert help? Choose a paid plan with review, or a tax professional
- Newcomers need date-of-entry and pre-arrival income support
- Quebec residents need software certified for the Quebec return too
How the quiz picks
- Starts from the CRA’s certified software list for 2025 returns (filed in 2026).
- “Free only” keeps products the CRA lists as free or with free versions: Wealthsimple Tax, Better Tax, GenuTax Standard, CloudTax and StudioTax.
- “Expert help” keeps products that sell help or review services.
- Your device removes products that do not run on it (the CRA lists online, download and mobile options for each).
- Shows up to three, with tips for your income type.
We do not rank by price, because most providers change prices and free conditions every season. Check the provider’s page before you start.
Forms your software must support
| If you have… | You need |
|---|---|
| Arrived this year | Date of entry and net world income before entry |
| Foreign tax on income after arrival | T2209 and T2036 (foreign tax credit) |
| Foreign property costing over $100,000 (second year on) | T1135 (checker) |
| Freelance or business income | T2125 |
| Rental income | T776 |
| Tuition at a Canadian school | Schedule 11 (tuition) |
Example
Kofi arrived in Calgary in June, has one T4 and a savings account in Ghana that earned a little interest after he arrived. He wants to pay nothing and uses a laptop browser. The quiz suggests Wealthsimple Tax, Better Tax and CloudTax, and reminds him to check the date of entry box and to report the Ghana interest after June.
Software or a free tax clinic?
If your income is modest and your return is simple, the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) can file for you for free. Volunteers are trained by the CRA, and many clinics run through settlement agencies in several languages. This is a good choice if you are not comfortable with English tax terms or with entering a date of entry and world income yourself.
Choose software instead if you have investments, foreign income after arrival, rental income or a business. Clinics usually do not handle these. For complex first returns, a tax professional is worth considering.
What changes each tax season
The CRA certifies software for each tax year. Providers often change plan names, prices and the rules for their free versions between seasons. Before you start, check three things on the provider’s site: that it is certified for the year you are filing, the price for your situation (including your spouse’s return), and whether it supports the forms in the table above.
NETFILE for 2025 returns closes on January 29, 2027. If you are filing for 2025 or earlier, do it before then or file on paper. Whatever you choose, keep a PDF copy of your return and every slip for at least six years, as the CRA requires.
Next steps
See the full tax software comparison, then follow the first tax return guide. If your income is modest and simple, a free tax clinic is another good option.