# Wealthsimple Tax vs TurboTax Canada: price, platform and fit

Source: https://taxsoftwaredesk.com/choosing-software/wealthsimple-tax-vs-turbotax
Publisher: Tax Software Desk (taxsoftwaredesk.com), independent editorial site
Topic: Choosing Tax Software
Last updated: 2026-09-19

> In Wealthsimple Tax vs TurboTax, the core difference is pricing: Wealthsimple Tax lets you pay what you want, including $0, for up to 2 returns, while TurboTax Canada is free only for simple returns and charges by complexity. Wealthsimple runs only in a browser; TurboTax also offers Windows desktop editions from $27.

## Key facts

- Wealthsimple Tax plans (2025 returns): Basic pay what you want; Plus $40; Pro $80
- TurboTax Desktop (2025 returns): Basic $27, Standard $45, Premier $100, Home & Business $150
- Where Wealthsimple Tax runs: Web only; mobile app no longer supported for tax
- Where TurboTax Desktop runs: Windows only; Mac users use TurboTax Online
- Oldest year Wealthsimple Tax files: 2023

## Is Wealthsimple Tax as good as TurboTax?

For accuracy, yes: in Wealthsimple Tax vs TurboTax, both are certified by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for NETFILE for 2025 returns, and both apply the same federal and provincial rules. The same entries give the same refund in either one ([CRA certified software](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/digital-services-individuals/netfile-overview/certified-software-netfile-program.html)).

Where they differ is price structure, platform and how far the interview walks you through each form. Wealthsimple Tax is a web product from the Canadian investing company Wealthsimple. TurboTax Canada is Intuit's Canadian product, sold online, as a Windows download and on mobile.

> **Independent comparison:** Tax Software Desk is independent and is not affiliated with Intuit, H&R Block, TaxAct, FreeTaxUSA, TaxSlayer, Block Inc. (Cash App Taxes), Wealthsimple, UFile or any other software company. Figures are for 2025 returns, checked September 2026.

## How do Wealthsimple Tax and TurboTax pricing compare?

Wealthsimple Tax prices by number of returns and support level; TurboTax Canada prices by the complexity of your return. That one difference decides most comparisons.

| Plan | Price | Returns per account | Adds |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Basic | Pay what you want, including $0 | Up to 2 | Email support in about 3 days |
| Plus | $40 + tax | Up to 8 | Audit protection, priority email in about 1 day |
| Pro | $80 + tax | 9 or more, up to 20 | 30-minute expert consultation; not for Quebec residents |

Wealthsimple Tax plans for 2025 returns (Wealthsimple, September 2026)

TurboTax Canada offers TurboTax Free for simple returns and paid online tiers, including expert-assisted and full-service options, priced by complexity. Its online price table did not show fixed amounts when we checked, so confirm the figure in your account before you file. The desktop editions have fixed prices.

| Edition | Price | Returns included | Adds |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Basic | $27 | 4 | Forms-mode entry, Quebec supported |
| Standard | $45 | 8 | Guided credits for spouses and dependants |
| Premier | $100 | 12 | Investment income and rental property |
| Home & Business | $150 | 12 | Self-employment income and business deductions |

TurboTax Canada Desktop for 2025 returns (Intuit Canada, September 2026)

## Interview, help and guarantees

TurboTax Canada sells human help as a product tier: Expert Assist lets you ask a tax expert as you go, and Expert Full Service has an expert prepare the return. Wealthsimple Tax includes email support on every plan and reserves a 30-minute expert consultation for Pro.

Wealthsimple offers a maximum refund guarantee: if you re-file before December 31, 2026 with the same information and get a bigger refund from a competitor's software, it pays back the greater of your payment or $50 ([Wealthsimple Tax](https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-ca/tax)). Weigh that against the audit protection that starts only at Plus.

## Auto-fill, imports and older years

Both products connect to the CRA's Auto-fill my return service to pull slips once you sign in with your CRA account. Auto-fill fills gaps from CRA records, not from your old software, so its contents are the same in either product.

Imports are where switching hurts. Wealthsimple Tax does not import another program's file, so a TurboTax user moving over types carry-forward amounts such as donations or capital cost allowance by hand; our [Wealthsimple Tax import from TurboTax](https://taxsoftwaredesk.com/canadian-software/wealthsimple-tax-import-from-turbotax) page lists what Auto-fill brings and what it misses. TurboTax Desktop carries forward its own prior-year files.

For late returns, Wealthsimple Tax files only 2023 and later, while NETFILE accepts returns back to 2018 in the 2026 season. If you need a 2018 to 2022 return, use another certified product for that year.

## Which is better for self-employed and rental returns?

On cost alone, Wealthsimple Tax usually wins for complex returns. Wealthsimple lists self-employment, rental property, capital gains and foreign income among the situations it handles, and its plans are not split by income type. TurboTax Free excludes rental, self-employment and investment income, and on the desktop rental starts at Premier ($100) and self-employment at Home & Business ($150).

### Worked example: a sole proprietor with a rental unit

A single filer with T2125 business income and a rental condo reported on Form T776 files one return. On Wealthsimple Tax Basic she can pay $0, or $40 on Plus for audit protection. On TurboTax Desktop she needs Home & Business at $150. What she gets for the extra cost is TurboTax's guided business and rental interview, which some first-time landlords value.

### Worked example: a family of three

Two parents and a working teen need three returns. Wealthsimple Basic stops at 2 returns per account, so one account means Plus at $40. TurboTax Desktop Standard at $45 covers 8 returns if nobody has rental or self-employment income.

## Wealthsimple Tax vs UFile

UFile charges per person online, which makes it cheaper than Wealthsimple Plus only for small households. For 2025 returns UFile ONLINE cost $20.95 for the family head, $16.00 for a spouse and $10.00 per dependant, and nothing when total income on line 15000 was $20,000 or less ([UFile Help Centre](https://www.ufile.ca/help/before-you-start)).

UFile also sells UFile for Windows, UFile 4 at $26.99 and UFile 12 at $42.99, for people who want the file on their own computer. Wealthsimple Tax has no download version. For all certified options side by side, see [best tax software in Canada](https://taxsoftwaredesk.com/choosing-software/best-tax-software-canada).

## Wealthsimple Tax vs TurboTax on Reddit: reading the threads

Forum comparisons of TurboTax vs Wealthsimple mostly turn on price and on one person's return. Check three things in any thread: the tax year discussed, whether the poster had rental or self-employment income, and whether they needed more than 2 returns, since each changes the answer.

Prices and plans for the 2026 tax year are not yet announced by either company. US readers weighing similar trade-offs can compare [TurboTax vs H&R Block](https://taxsoftwaredesk.com/choosing-software/turbotax-vs-hr-block) and [FreeTaxUSA vs TurboTax](https://taxsoftwaredesk.com/choosing-software/freetaxusa-vs-turbotax), or start from [best tax software](https://taxsoftwaredesk.com/choosing-software).

## Common questions

### Is Wealthsimple Tax cheaper than TurboTax?

Usually. Wealthsimple Tax Basic can cost $0 for up to 2 returns and its plans are not split by income type, while TurboTax Canada is free only for simple returns and its desktop editions run from $27 to $150.

### Can I switch from TurboTax to Wealthsimple Tax?

Yes, but Wealthsimple Tax will not import your TurboTax file. Use Auto-fill my return for slips and CRA-held carry-forwards, and enter other carry-forward amounts from last year's return by hand.

### Does Wealthsimple Tax work on a Mac?

Yes, in a web browser. Wealthsimple Tax is web only, and its mobile app is no longer supported for filing taxes.

### Is Wealthsimple Tax good for Quebec?

Wealthsimple Tax is certified by both the CRA and Revenu Quebec, and Quebec filing is available on the Basic and Plus plans. The Pro plan is not offered to Quebec residents.

### Which is better, Wealthsimple Tax or UFile?

Wealthsimple Tax is cheaper for most households because Basic can be $0. UFile ONLINE is free only at $20,000 of income or less, but UFile offers a Windows download, which Wealthsimple does not.

## Sources

- [Wealthsimple Tax plans](https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-ca/tax)
- [TurboTax Canada desktop products](https://turbotax.intuit.ca/tax/software/desktop)
- [TurboTax Canada pricing](https://turbotax.intuit.ca/tax/pricing)
- [UFile Help Centre: Before you start](https://www.ufile.ca/help/before-you-start)
- [CRA: Certified tax software for NETFILE](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/digital-services-individuals/netfile-overview/certified-software-netfile-program.html)
- [Wealthsimple Help Centre: Access and file taxes for previous years](https://help.wealthsimple.com/hc/en-ca/articles/4416015691163-Access-and-file-taxes-for-previous-years)