Has anybody used one of the various software packages that are available to submit your own end of year tax return? My wife is a Chartered Accountant and we always submitted our own tax returns in the UK, but this is our first tax year in Canada. Our affairs are fairly straight forward but we're unfamiliar with the various packages available.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Several are very good. Quite easy to do on line too, although your first has to be printed and sent off. Subsequent returns can be filed on line.

Turbo Tax is a common one. It retains your info and transfers it over the following year so no need to redo everything.

I think we saw Turbotax in Walmart for about $38.00. Are there any pitfalls with it that anyone is aware of?

I usually use Turbotax online. Once the online version is released you can usually find a link with a discount (TD comes to mind, just google). I think last year it took less than 2 weeks from filing to refund. As mentioned first year you have to mail it in, but worked fine for simple situations.

Having said this I have also filed using the paper packages. If you can read and use a calculator they are pretty straightforward. With the simple packages you are pretty much paying for the program to do the arithmetic.

I have no argument with anything above. I used Turbo Tax Online when I was an employee without any problems even though our affairs are relatively complex. The basic versions of the program coped with everything we threw at it. U-File is also good. There are other programs but I have not used them.

I have used the HR Block Software since coming to Canada without any issues.

After paying the full price the first year, the software is heavily discounted in future years. The first year I paid $40 but now It costs between $12 and $20 for the software.

After the first year, you can use something called netfile and tax returns can be processed within a couple of weeks.

The first year you have to print it off and send it in.

I use Tax Freeway.

Its accurate, and cheap. A friend with a home business or two uses it, so it can deal with more complex situations too. It actually found a few bucks that Ufile had missed too.

Its free to download and try, the interface is maybe not as slick as others, but its OK. Costs $10 to register in order to be able to either print a return or netfile, and thats good for up to 20 returns, so good for large families (or sharing around). If you have used it before it preloads most of the info from your last time.

I use Ufile. Keeps the stuff from year to year, web based, and I think it costs me about $25 a year for two returns. Piece of cake to use (I did the first one manually and although it's simple enough there is a ton of faffing about with extra forms, so I'm never doing that again).

Ufile online is good to, its what I used before although it got more pricey it seems.

I forgot my password though and my email addy had changed in the mean time

I use an accountant.

What does he charge?

Me to

I did my first return manually too - not hard with some time and a spreadsheet. Still, I use ufile now because it only takes 10 mins if you have the docs in front of you.

Being an Immigrant you could elect to not file taxes for several years and then claim ignorance or be like other Canadians who dont file taxes.
The only downside to that is having CRA sending you nasty letters and threatening you and paying back with interest any money you owe the Govt.
Ive used both U File and Turbo Tax.

I assume that's supposed to be amusing? If not it's the most irresponsible post I've read in some time.