[QUOTE=Bad1;7318025]How does using a different tax company help, if they use the same format, in regarding getting more money on your return???

I expanded on that in my previous post. With H&R we dropped off the info, with the other guy he likes you to sit and wait, to make sure your claiming for everything - we didn't know we could claim for summer camps and the like until we had sat and chatted with him, he has also asked if we have claimed for OH's tools - no we haven't - that'll be next year now though!

Another advantage with programs like QuickTax is that you can transfer the previous year's info for the new year and amend information. So even if it seems a bit long winded the first time, it's quicker after because you're not doing it all again.

It's certainly worth setting up an account and 'playing' to see if it suits your purpose. I have done various "what ifs" with them as well. I even experimented with a theoretical capital gains tax issue.

I found this nifty tax xalculator. You might try it to double check.

I am sure I will be corrected if this is incorrect but i was under the impression that you only inform RC of income since you landed. Your 9 month in UK is irrelevant you pay tax on the three months you have been here.

We got charged 200 dollars for the Wifes American taxes last year we got a call from H&R Block about two weeks ago and was told what ever they quote you if it ends up being more of a job than what they thought it would be they can only raise the price by 10% ours was 100%........

But the office has new management (Where we got our taxes done) and they want us to give them another try, we did get the moneys we spent back after complaining to head office, it took awhile but we got it back.

If you get any money from the states is it right that it is added onto your Canadian money and you are taxed on it???

We used H and R the first 2 times we filed our taxes. It was ok, but obviously temp staff hired for the tax season. This year we went to a different location where they have the same woman there year in year out. She found other areas to claim taxes back for us, was thorough and helpful.

Like most things it varies with location. You would be better off asking if anyone has used them in your town, which office and which adviser.

With Quicktax, have you upgraded to the full assessment yet?
If not, once you do, they'll pro rata that figure. Same happened to me, as I was here for the last 4 months of 2008. My initial tax rebate estimate was about $7k, but when I upgraded to the full assessment (which you have to pay like $15 for) it came in at around $1800.

We usually use Quicktax, it`s free if your income is under 20 grand or something like that.

This year Mrs Kosh decided to file hers by snail mail which kind of annoyed me, but there you go, a woman does what she wants.

Just a question about HR block. Could I file my taxes at HRBlock even though Mrs Kosh has filed seperately by mail?

I phone four different HRBlock kiosks around here and all gave yes and no. Some said I need to bring her T4`s with me, some said no but I would need to know her income amount for 2008. Well for a start Mrs Kosh sent both T4`s in the mail (and the other copies - yeah I know!).

She has the rough copy of here tax return with her calculations, that shows how much she earned for 2008, would that be good enough to take with me?

Failing that I guess I`ll have to wait until next week and file using Quicktax again and just add her information in the online form.

I notice people are replying to comments from last year, so for the record, in the end I used H&R block's online software - mainly I think because it was the only one that would let me not enter a SIN for my wife (that's another story).

I got about $3k back in the end.

I remember encountering that problem before I had PR and a permanent SIN and I was needed to get a temporary one by filing a tax return.

QuickTaxWeb either allowed it to be left blank, or I stuck zeros or ones in. I don't remember which, but it did the trick. I just enclosed the appropriate note to explain.

We used to use one just across the street and around the corner from us, but there is only a very few who can do the U S tax forms (For H&R in Edmonton) so that limits our selection to choose from, we liked the lady that we had doing our taxes for two or three years, the guy we had last year not so much. .........

It is only a real problem if Mrs Kosh has low earnings. If her taxable income is less than her personal amount ($10,100 federal) then you can claim her unused amount. If she earns more than this then just put a random amount (I use $25,000) for spouse's earnings to make sure the software does not try add her personal amount to yours.

There is no requirement in law for spouses to file tax returns together. However, it is strongly recommended because there are some expenses that can be claimed by either spouse and by calculating the returns together you can get the maximum deduction possible. Also, if you have pension income you can only work out the most advantageous split if you calculate both returns at the same time.