Find the Tax Help You Actually Need
Answer a few questions and find out whether you need a calculator, tax preparer, accountant, lawyer or CRA action.
The short version
- Most tax questions need a good answer, not a professional. Those are free here.
- A simple return with a low income can be done free at a CRA volunteer clinic.
- Bigger money, business income or a CRA dispute: a CPA. Fraud, gross negligence or prosecution: a tax lawyer, right away.
- Answer five questions below and we point you to the right one.
Find the Right Tax Help in Five Questions
Paying a tax lawyer to explain a T4 is like hiring an engineer to hang a picture. Doing your own objection on a $60,000 reassessment is the opposite mistake, and it costs more. Pick your situation:
Who Does What in Canadian Tax
Free tools (that's us). For “how is this taxed?”, “how much will I owe?” and “what does this letter mean?”, start with the AI tax assistant, the Canadian tax calculators and the tax document analyzer. They cost nothing and they tell you when you need a person.
Free tax clinics. CRA's Community Volunteer Income Tax Program has volunteers who file simple returns at no charge. CRA's suggested income limits are $40,000 for one person, $55,000 for two, $60,000 for three, $65,000 for four and $70,000 for five, with $5,000 more for each extra person, and local organizations can adjust them. “Simple” means income from a job, pensions, benefits, RRSPs, scholarships or modest interest, not a business or a rental.
Tax software. For a simple return you're comfortable doing yourself, NETFILE-certified software files straight to CRA. Our Canadian income tax guide covers what goes where.
Tax preparers. Anyone can hang out a “tax preparer” sign. People who file returns electronically for clients have to register with CRA's EFILE program, but that's a registration, not a professional licence. Good ones are worth every dollar for routine returns. Ask what they do if CRA reviews your return.
CPAs (Chartered Professional Accountants). Regulated by their provincial CPA body. The right choice for business and rental income, corporations, estates, CRA reviews, audits and objections. Ask specifically whether they handle CRA disputes; not all of them do.
Tax lawyers. The only advisers whose communications with you are protected by solicitor-client privilege. You want one for gross negligence penalties, fraud or criminal investigations, large unreported income, a voluntary disclosure of serious amounts, and appeals to the Tax Court of Canada.
CRA itself. For payment arrangements, missing slips, account problems and “what did you mean by this letter”, calling CRA is free and often fastest. Our CRA guide explains accounts, notices, reviews and collections.
The Taxpayers' Ombudsperson. If CRA's service has gone wrong (delays, no answers, unprofessional treatment) and you've already tried CRA's own complaint process, the Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson reviews service complaints. It doesn't change the amount of tax you owe.
Five Questions to Ask Before You Hire Anyone
- Have you handled this exact problem before? A reassessment of rental income is not the same skill as a corporate year-end.
- What will it cost, in writing? A flat fee, an hourly rate, and what's not included.
- Who talks to CRA? If they will, you'll sign form AUT-01 or authorize them in My Account. See our list of Canadian tax forms.
- What happens if CRA reviews the return you prepared? Some include it. Some bill it.
- Can you show me how you got the number? If they can't explain it, CRA won't accept it either.
When You Can Probably Do It Yourself
A missing receipt request, a small reassessment where you have the paper, a moving-expense or medical review: these are usually a matter of sending the right documents by the date in the letter. Our guide on what to do after a CRA reassessment walks through it, and the CRA objection SmartFile handles the paperwork when you need to formally disagree.
Not sure where to start? The tax problem solver gives the steps for the most common CRA problems and lists credits you may be missing.
Disagree with a reassessment you can handle yourself?
The CRA objection SmartFile asks about the letter and your documents, then builds the Notice of Objection with the deadline worked out.
Tax Help Questions
Where can I get free tax help in Canada?
Free tax clinics through CRA's Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, if your income is modest and your tax situation is simple. CRA's suggested limits start at $40,000 of total family income for one person. For general questions, CRA's phone lines and our free AI assistant and calculators cost nothing.
Do I need an accountant or a tax lawyer?
An accountant (CPA) for business, rental, corporate and most CRA review, audit and objection work. A tax lawyer when there is any suggestion of fraud, gross negligence penalties, prosecution, large unreported income, or a Tax Court appeal.
Are tax preparers regulated in Canada?
Not as a profession in general. Preparers who file electronically for clients must register for CRA's EFILE program, but that is a registration, not a licence. CPAs and lawyers are regulated by their provincial bodies.
Can someone deal with CRA on my behalf?
Yes. You can authorize a representative through My Account or with form AUT-01, and remove the authorization at any time.
Sources: CRA, Get your taxes done at a free tax clinic; Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson; Form AUT-01. Checked October 2026. Where we describe how professions are regulated, that is general information; rules differ by province.
Last reviewed October 5, 2026 against CRA and Government of Canada sources. How we check our facts.