# How to choose a tax preparer in Canada > Do you need a tax preparer in Canada? How to decide, what a preparer does, the questions to ask before you hire one and where to find free help Most people with a plain return don't need a tax preparer. If your income is a salary, a few investment slips and the usual credits, software or a free filing service will do it. Help makes sense for business or rental income, a sale of property or shares, foreign income, or a return for someone who has died. Before you pay anyone, ask about credentials, get the fee in writing and find out who answers if the CRA reviews the return. We don't prepare returns or send you to a particular firm, so there's nothing here to sell you. Our article on [tax preparation services](https://tax-services.ca/articles/tax-preparation-services) describes the work itself. This page deals with whether to hire one and how to choose. ## Do you need a tax preparer at all? Probably not, if your return is a salary plus a few investment slips and the usual credits. Software or a free service can handle that. The [guide to free tax filing](https://tax-services.ca/articles/free-tax-filing-canada) lists the routes, and the [filing guide](https://tax-services.ca/guides/file-your-taxes) shows the steps. Help makes sense when the return gets complicated: business or rental income, a sale of property or shares, income from another country, or a return for someone who has died. A mistake there costs more than a fee. If you run a business, start with the [self-employed guide](https://tax-services.ca/guides/self-employed-and-small-business). If you sold a home, the [principal residence gain calculator](https://tax-services.ca/calculators/income-tax/principal-residence-gain) estimates the gain, and for a side gig the [side hustle tax calculator](https://tax-services.ca/calculators/income-tax/side-hustle-tax) gives you a rough bill before you decide. Behind on filing? The article on what to do if you [haven't filed in years](https://tax-services.ca/articles/havent-filed-in-years-canada) is a good place to start. Picture Dana in Winnipeg: one T4, a tuition slip and a few bucks of bank interest. Software does her return in half an hour. Her brother Marc sold a rental duplex and has a side contract. He's the one to call an accountant. ## What does a tax preparer do? A preparer collects your slips and receipts, completes the return, files it, and usually answers the CRA's questions about it. The CRA's page on [using a professional tax preparer](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/income-tax/personal-income-tax/how-file/tax-preparer.html) describes the same arrangement: they prepare the return and send it in electronically for a fee. An accountant can plan ahead too, such as how to pay yourself from a company (the [salary vs dividends calculator](https://tax-services.ca/calculators/business-tax/salary-vs-dividends) compares the two routes) or when to claim a loss. Nobody can promise you a refund before they have seen your documents. If someone quotes a figure first, or wants a cut of your refund as their fee, walk away. A fee tied to your refund pays the preparer for a bigger number, whether or not the return is right. ## What should you ask before you hire a tax preparer? Put these four questions to anyone you are thinking of hiring: - What are you qualified to do, and who signs the return? - What's the fee in writing, and does it change if my return turns out harder than it looks? - If the CRA reviews the return later, will you answer for it, and is that included? - How do you store my documents and personal information? Fees vary with the work and the province, and there's no official price list to quote. Get two or three quotes for the same job. The article on the [cost of tax preparation by a CPA](https://tax-services.ca/articles/average-cost-of-tax-preparation-by-cpa-in-canada) explains how a quote gets built. ## How do you check a preparer's credentials? Ask for their name and credentials, then check any designation with the body that grants it. Our article on [certified tax preparers](https://tax-services.ca/articles/certified-tax-preparer) explains the terms people use. Never sign a blank form. You're responsible for what the return says, so read it before it goes in. If a notice of reassessment arrives later, the article on a [notice of reassessment](https://tax-services.ca/articles/notice-of-reassessment-canada) explains what it means. ## What should you hand over, and what should you keep? Give a preparer copies of your slips and receipts, not your originals. Keep your own copy of the finished return, and hold on to the supporting papers for six years, which is how long the CRA's page says to keep them. If something looks odd, ask before they file. ## More about preparers and accountants --- Source: https://tax-services.ca/guides/choose-a-tax-preparer Last updated: 2026-10-05 Independent information site. Not affiliated with the CRA. No services, no guarantee of accuracy. See https://tax-services.ca/disclaimer