Accounting
Best tax software for self-employed Canadians (T1 + T2125)
Wealthsimple Basic can be $0 with T2125 included. UFile ONLINE prints $20.95. StudioTax license prints $17.50. H&R Block Self Employed prints $69.99. TurboTax DIY Self-Employed prints $70. GST/HST is a different CRA filing.
Last updated 7 September 2026. About 16 minutes. Research from public vendor docs and CRA pages — not a hands-on lab test.
A Smithville sole prop does not need a US “best tax software 2026” list because a blog ranked TurboTax Premier. They need a CRA-certified T1 that will actually produce a T2125, a published CAD price, and an honest no when the GST/HST return is a different CRA login. US lists skip NETFILE certification, skip StudioTax, and skip the week a bookkeeper is still the cheaper door.
This comparison is what Canadian sole props actually file with: Wealthsimple Tax, UFile, H&R Block Canada Self Employed, TurboTax Canada Self-Employed, and honesty on StudioTax. Self-employed tax-software prices checked against public Canadian vendor and CRA pages, 7 September 2026. CRA’s certified-software list (retrieved 7 September 2026) is for the 2025 tax year. NETFILE/ReFILE for those T1s is open until 29 January 2027. Vendor prices cited here are the 2025-season figures printed on 7 September 2026. This page does not invent tax-year 2026 list prices that were not on those pages. This is not a filing lab.
Who this page is for
- A Canadian sole prop (or side-gig T4 plus T2125) who will file a 2025 T1 before NETFILE closes on 29 January 2027 — or who wants the printed 2025 prices before 2026-season SKUs appear.
- Someone who thinks “tax software” also files the GST/HST return.
- Anyone who googled StudioTax “is it dead / is it $0” and needs the official $17.50 license line.
- Not a T2 corporation. Not EFILE for a tax preparer. Not tax advice.
Snapshot (public pages, 7 September 2026)
CAD prices from official Canadian vendor pages for tax year 2025 software. Bookkeeper is not a NETFILE SKU. StudioTax is a desktop/mobile license, not this table’s cloud column. Confirm the live checkout. Not a filing lab.
Bookkeeper / accountant
- What you are actually buying
- A human who already saw the books — or will, before anyone NETFILEs.
- Published CAD price
- Whatever that person invoices. Not a software list price.
- T2125 / self-employment (printed)
- They complete or review T2125 from the ledger. Software is optional.
- NETFILE (printed)
- A preparer uses EFILE, not consumer NETFILE, if they file for clients.
- GST/HST return handoff
- They can prepare the RT return from the same books. Still a CRA GST/HST filing.
Wealthsimple Basic
- What you are actually buying
- Pay-what-you-want cloud T1, including $0. Self-employed income is on Basic.
- Published CAD price
- Basic: pay what you want, even $0 (up to 2 returns). Plus $40 + tax. Pro $80 + tax.
- T2125 / self-employment (printed)
- Official T2125 explainer: self-employed Canadians use Form T2125 on the T1; no business number required to file it; a separate T2125 per distinct business; filing deadline June 15 if you or a spouse has self-employment income; balance still due April 30.
- NETFILE (printed)
- FAQ: Wealthsimple Tax is CRA- and Revenu Québec–certified NETFILE software for tax years 2023–2025. CRA limit of 20 returns per computer or online account is restated on that page.
- GST/HST return handoff
- T1 NETFILE only. GST/HST stays on CRA’s GST/HST how-to.
UFile ONLINE
- What you are actually buying
- Thomson Reuters cloud T1. Family-head price; Windows SKU is separate.
- Published CAD price
- $20.95 + tax family head; spouse $16; dependant $10. $0 if line 15000 ≤ $20,000.
- T2125 / self-employment (printed)
- Official UFile help: all kinds of self-employment income; the program generates federal T2125 and Québec TP-80 if applicable. If GST/HST (QST) registered, enter expenses before tax so they match ITCs/ITRs claimed. Gross/net flow to T1 lines 13499 and 13500.
- NETFILE (printed)
- ONLINE and Windows both NETFILE-certified on the before-you-start page. Auto-fill My Return.
- GST/HST return handoff
- T2125 help: enter GST-registered expenses before tax so they match ITCs. Not a GST NETFILE button.
H&R Block Self Employed
- What you are actually buying
- H&R Block cloud package that auto-adds T2125 when you pick Self Employed.
- Published CAD price
- $69.99 per return. Free / Deluxe / Premier are other packages.
- T2125 / self-employment (printed)
- Official help: if you were self-employed in 2025, use T2125. The form is automatically added when the SELF-EMPLOYED package is chosen. Québec: T2125 and TP-80-V are combined in the software. Support page dated for 2025 tax software.
- NETFILE (printed)
- Page copy: CRA NETFILE certified.
- GST/HST return handoff
- T1 package. Not a substitute for My Business Account.
TurboTax Self-Employed
- What you are actually buying
- Intuit DIY cloud SKU that lists self-employment and rental. Expert Assist is $150.
- Published CAD price
- DIY Self-Employed $70 per return. Expert Assist sole prop $150.
- T2125 / self-employment (printed)
- Official business/sole-prop page: Expert Assist for Sole Proprietors $150 per return, pay when you file. FAQ: sole props report business income on the personal return; TurboTax asks questions and fills Form T2125 behind the scenes. Québec: TP-80-V prepared and synced. CPP: both portions, with a deduction for the employer half — vendor copy, software calculates.
- NETFILE (printed)
- CRA’s certified list includes TurboTax Online (2023–2025) plus desktop and mobile SKUs.
- GST/HST return handoff
- Same FAQ: you do not need to file a GST/HST (or QST) return unless revenue hits $30,000 in a year (small-supplier). That is a CRA registration test, not a claim that TurboTax NETFILEs your GST/HST return. The GST/HST return is a separate CRA filing.
Sources: Wealthsimple Tax; UFile before you start; H&R Block online software; TurboTax DIY; CRA certified tax software. StudioTax sits below so this table does not pretend it is a $70 interview product.
When a bookkeeper or accountant is still enough
Stay with a human when the year is not in the ledger yet, when you have two businesses and two T2125s, when you incorporated (T2 is a different product — TurboTax sells one; this page will not price it from a US blog), when CRA sent a letter, or when you do not want to decide home-office or vehicle Chart A yourself. Official T2125: Form T2125. Guide: T4002.
Software is the cheaper door when the books and the receipts already exist in CAD. Then a $0 Wealthsimple Basic or a $20.95 UFile file is a filing tool, not a reconstruction project.
Wealthsimple Tax — $0 Basic, T2125 not paywalled
Official tax page: Basic is pay-what-you-want, including $0, up to 2 returns. Plus $40 + tax (up to 8 returns; free for Premium clients). Pro $80 + tax (9+ returns; free for Generation clients). Pro is not available for Québec residents or in French. Chart last updated December 2025. FAQ: Basic has no form paywall — employment, investment, and self-employed income are all available. FAQ: Wealthsimple Tax is CRA- and Revenu Québec–certified NETFILE software for tax years 2023–2025. CRA limit of 20 returns per computer or online account is restated on that page.
Official T2125 explainer: self-employed Canadians use Form T2125 on the T1; no business number required to file it; a separate T2125 per distinct business; filing deadline June 15 if you or a spouse has self-employment income; balance still due April 30. Sources: tax; T2125 explainer; plans help.
Start here when the books are already clean and you will actually click NETFILE. Plus and Pro are support and audit-protection SKUs, not extra forms. Québec: Basic and Plus only.
Official site: Open Wealthsimple Tax. Not an affiliate tracking link.
Buttons go to the vendor’s public site. If a link pays NorthOffice a commission, the price you pay does not change.
UFile — $20.95 family head, T2125 plus a GST-expense note
Official before-you-start: UFile ONLINE family head $20.95 plus applicable taxes; spouse $16.00; dependants $10.00; $0 if total income (line 15000) is $20,000 or less. Free also marketed for students, simple returns, and first-time filers (see their file-for-free page). UFile for Windows: UFile 4 $26.99 or UFile 12 $42.99. UFile PREMIUM (ONLINE only): $32.95 single or $48.95 family — $12 more than ONLINE. Both ONLINE and Windows are NETFILE-certified; Auto-fill My Return; English and French including Québec.
Official UFile help: all kinds of self-employment income; the program generates federal T2125 and Québec TP-80 if applicable. If GST/HST (QST) registered, enter expenses before tax so they match ITCs/ITRs claimed. Gross/net flow to T1 lines 13499 and 13500. Sources: before you start; T2125 help.
The before-tax expense note is the GST/HST handoff this page will print: the T1 uses net-of-ITC numbers; the RT return still files in CRA’s GST/HST how-to. Do not invent a $19.95 blog price — $20.95 is what UFile printed.
Official site: Open UFile. Not an affiliate tracking link.
Buttons go to the vendor’s public site. If a link pays NorthOffice a commission, the price you pay does not change.
H&R Block Self Employed — $69.99, T2125 on that package
Official online-software page: Free $0.00 (qualifying simple T4 returns); Deluxe $29.99; Premier $49.99; Self Employed $69.99 per return. Self Employed copy: freelancers or small-business owners; income, deductions, and credits for business expenses; self-employment expense calculators; claim rental income and expenses. NETFILE certified. Previous-year pricing may differ. Official help: if you were self-employed in 2025, use T2125. The form is automatically added when the SELF-EMPLOYED package is chosen. Québec: T2125 and TP-80-V are combined in the software. Support page dated for 2025 tax software. Sources: online software; T2125 help.
Use the Self Employed card when you want their calculator workflow and you will not assume Free or Deluxe added T2125. In-office and remote expert products are other doors — this page priced the software SKU only.
Official site: Open H&R Block Canada. Not an affiliate tracking link.
Buttons go to the vendor’s public site. If a link pays NorthOffice a commission, the price you pay does not change.
TurboTax — $70 DIY, $150 Expert Assist, T2125 behind the interview
Official DIY page: Free $0 (simple situations); Deluxe $30; Premier $50; Self-Employed $70 per return. Self-Employed covers Premier plus self-employment, side gig, or freelance income, and rental income. Auto-fill My Return and ReFILE are in the feature table. Official business/sole-prop page: Expert Assist for Sole Proprietors $150 per return, pay when you file. FAQ: sole props report business income on the personal return; TurboTax asks questions and fills Form T2125 behind the scenes. Québec: TP-80-V prepared and synced. CPP: both portions, with a deduction for the employer half — vendor copy, software calculates. Same FAQ: you do not need to file a GST/HST (or QST) return unless revenue hits $30,000 in a year (small-supplier). That is a CRA registration test, not a claim that TurboTax NETFILEs your GST/HST return. The GST/HST return is a separate CRA filing. Sources: DIY; sole prop / business.
$70 is the published DIY self-employed door. $150 is unlimited expert help plus a final review — still a T1, still not the GST/HST return. Do not paste a US Self-Employed dollar figure onto intuit.ca.
Official site: Open TurboTax Canada. Not an affiliate tracking link.
Buttons go to the vendor’s public site. If a link pays NorthOffice a commission, the price you pay does not change.
StudioTax — $17.50 desktop license, not a dead product
Official home: Canadian desktop/mobile NETFILE software (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android), not a cloud interview. One personal version, up to the CRA maximum of 20 returns. Covers simple through self-employed and rental. CRA Auto-fill, NETFILE, ReFILE, printed returns. T1135 on Windows and Mac. Tax professionals cannot NETFILE client returns — they need EFILE. StudioTax 2025 is the version for 2025 returns.
Official payment page: $17.50 for a 2025 license before print/NETFILE, good for up to 10 returns that tax year; a second license for the next 10 (CRA still caps 20 per computer). Free — no license — if line 15000 is under $20,000 (with printed line 11600/14700 exclusions; linked returns combined $40,000) or you live in NT, YT, or NU. CRA’s list: mobile app free; computer download paid, with free offerings by situation. Homepage: iOS/Android available free. Do not invent a $15 blog price. Sources: home; payment; CRA list.
Use StudioTax when you want the file on your disk and you will live with a form-style desktop. It is still on CRA’s 2025 certified list. It is not a $0 forever download for a $80,000 T2125 — that is the $17.50 license unless you are under the printed free tests.
Official site: Open StudioTax. Not an affiliate tracking link.
Buttons go to the vendor’s public site. If a link pays NorthOffice a commission, the price you pay does not change.
NETFILE the T1; file GST/HST somewhere else
Official T1 NETFILE window and certified list: NETFILE; find certified software. Official GST/HST filing: how to file your GST/HST return. Registering first: how to register for GST/HST.
The ledger that produced both numbers is still accounting software for Canada. The ITC paper is still expense tracking. None of those pages is this T1.
A practical pick
- Books are a mess, first GST year, partnership, or CRA letter: pay a bookkeeper or accountant. Software will not invent the year.
- Clean CAD books, you will file yourself: Wealthsimple Basic at $0 (or what you choose). Self-employed is included.
- Want a paid Canadian T1 with a printed GST-expense note: UFile ONLINE at $20.95 + tax.
- Want the file on the computer: StudioTax $17.50 license — or $0 if you meet their printed free tests / mobile.
- Want an interview that markets T2125: H&R Block Self Employed $69.99 or TurboTax DIY Self-Employed $70. Pay $150 only if you want TurboTax’s expert-assist door.
- GST/HST registrant: file the RT return in CRA’s GST/HST how-to. Register first if you are over $30,000 taxable supplies — GST/HST registration.
- The books: accounting. The receipts: expense tracking. This page will not invent a 2026-season price the vendor did not print.
Buttons go to the vendor’s public site. If a link pays NorthOffice a commission, the price you pay does not change.
Questions people actually ask
Related NorthOffice guides
- Best accounting software for Canadian small businesses (2026)
Who each Canadian-ready ledger is actually for — GST/HST, payroll add-ons, and regular CAD prices, not US list rates.
- How to register for a GST/HST account in Canada
When the $30,000 test bites, how to register online, Quebec exception, and software that can print the number once you have it.
- Best expense and receipt tracking apps for Canadian sole props
Wave Starter is $0 until you add receipts. FreshBooks and QBO scan inside the ledger. Dext publishes CAD. Expensify does not.
- Best mileage tracking apps for Canadian sole props
Driversnote and MileIQ print CAD. Everlance’s public list is IRS/USD. QBO mileage is inside the ledger. A spreadsheet still counts as a logbook. CRA rates change — link the table, do not invent next year’s cents.