canada taxes Archives - Mommy Kat and Kids

Everyone Can Prepare and File Taxes Online Absolutely Free with H&R Block Tax Software

March 30, 2016 by Kathryn 18 Comments

I’ve often thought that when it comes to taxes, I’m a bit of an oddity. Being self-employed, my taxes take a lot of work. But despite that, I love the chance to see how well my business has done over the past year…though making that final payment to the government does hurt a bit! This year, H&R Block challenged me to try its online software and see if it could make my filing experience even more enjoyable. Since the company promises a quick and easy experience that’s also absolutely free, I was more than willing to give it a try.

Last year was my first experience with an online filing program, though I did use a different company’s paid version to file. This year H&R Block requested I see how its program compared and I couldn’t wait. I have to admit that I didn’t believe the program was free for everyone at first. I mentioned that as someone with a home-based business and investment income, I likely would need a paid premium version of the program. Learning that H&R Block’s online tax software is 100% free for everyone had me even more excited to test it out!

I signed up online and started entering my information. The program uses questions and answers in a simple interview-style process to obtain essential filing information about dependents, job status, marital status and more. I liked the way that just a quick click of a button prepared the software to obtain all the necessary information it would need for my return. I also loved being able to save my progress and come back at any time, since I often have to reference paperwork and add up various income and expenses when filing. [Read more…]

I’m Preparing My Taxes Online for FREE with H&R Block Online Tax Software #HowToRefund

March 21, 2016 by Kathryn 29 Comments

Ever since I started filing my taxes, I’ve been the do-it-yourself type. Each year I’d pick up my tax booklet at the post office, work through the forms and mail in my completed return. Initially that job was pretty easy. With a single T4 and not many deductions to claim, filing really couldn’t have been easier. Then I had children, bought a house and started my own business. Suddenly my taxes got a lot more complicated and took a lot longer. But I still did the work myself and up until last year, I still used the old-fashioned paper and pen.

When filing my 2014 taxes, I upgraded to online software for the first time. I loved the ease of use, but the price tag wasn’t so great. Because I was self-employed and had investment income, the software cost $50 for a single return! Since I had to pay quite a bit in income tax already, every extra dollar I lost filing hurt a bit. And with my return for 2015 being even more complicated as I’m paying GST for the first time, I wanted to find the most effective filing method possible this year…at the best price.

[Read more…]

Top 5 Tax Benefits for Canadian Families Filing an Income Tax Return from TurboTax

January 26, 2015 by Kathryn 61 Comments

Filing taxes is something that I’ve always done myself, and to be honest I really rather enjoy it. While it does take a lot of work, it’s also a chance for me to see how well I’ve done financially in the previous year and how my business has continued to grow. But one of the things that does get difficult is keeping up with all the changing credits and benefits available, especially when doing an old-fashioned paper return.

That’s why this year I’m making the switch from paper to digital with help from TurboTax! While I’ve been tempted for years now to start filing my taxes online, the fact that I run a small business was always a deterrent because I wasn’t sure which digital filing method would work for me. Thankfully, TurboTax stepped in this year and helped me figure it out. Now I’ll be filing online with TurboTax Home & Business!

And as a mother with two minor children, I’ll also be taking advantage of some of the many credits and deductions available to families with children. These are five of the top tax benefits families with minor children should be investigating when filing their taxes this year: [Read more…]