Who can review your past Canadian tax returns

Canada Revenue Agency, in My Account

The CRA's own online form, inside My Account. It reaches the full ten-year window and costs nothing, which makes it the right answer whenever you already know what needs fixing. What it won't do is tell you what to fix — it's a submission tool, not a review. It's also blocked for a few situations, including bankruptcy years and returns covering more than one province.

How far back:

10 most recent tax years

Best for:

You already know exactly what was missed

canada.ca — Change my return

Community organisations, with the CRA

Through the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, community organisations host clinics where trained volunteers complete returns at no charge. It's been running since 1971, operates across Canada, and appointments can be in person or by videoconference or phone. Eligibility is based on having a modest income and a simple tax situation — the income figure depends on family size, so check the current chart. If you qualify, this is very often the best option on this page and it costs nothing.

How far back:

Varies by clinic

Best for:

Modest income and a simple tax situation

canada.ca — Free tax clinics

Canada Revenue Agency

A free, confidential CRA service for small business owners, self-employed people, and those with rental income. A liaison officer will walk through your obligations, help with books and records, and point out credits and deductions you may be eligible for. The CRA states the visit is confidential and not shared with other areas of the agency. It isn't a past-return review, but for a self-employed filer trying to work out what they've been getting wrong, it's free expertise most people don't know exists.

How far back:

Not a return-review service

Best for:

Self-employed, small business, or rental income

canada.ca — Liaison Officer service

H&R Block Canada

A free review of previously filed returns, including ones filed somewhere else. It's the closest branded equivalent to what this page is about, and it's genuinely free to have someone look. Two limits worth knowing: it reaches three prior years rather than ten, and while the review costs nothing, their page states that “additional fees apply” if they go on to prepare the amendment — the amount isn't published. It runs through an office visit or their remote service.

How far back:

Up to 3 prior years

Best for:

You want a person to look, at no cost

hrblock.ca/second-look

DIY filing software

These file returns; they don't go hunting through past years for things you missed. Wealthsimple Tax is pay-what-you-want at its basic tier, with Plus and Pro tiers at $40 and $80 — Pro adds a 30-minute session with a tax professional, and audit protection is included on both Plus and Pro. H&R Block Online runs $0 to $69.99. UFile starts at $20.95. TurboTax Canada calculates pricing per return and publishes no fixed figures on its pricing page. Worth being clear: this is a different purchase from a past-return review, so the prices aren't directly comparable to the rest of this page.

How far back:

The year you're filing

Best for:

Filing a return, not reviewing an old one

wealthsimple.com/en-ca/tax

This product — a self-serve review tool

Answer questions about your situation and get back a list of what you may have missed in each year still open, with the specific CRA or Income Tax Act provision behind every finding so you or an accountant can check it. The assessment is free; the full report is $15 per tax year reviewed, and free if that year's findings total under $150. Never a percentage of anything recovered. Worth knowing before you start: it doesn't file anything, and nobody on our team holds a professional accounting or financial-planning designation (CPA, CA, CMA, CGA, or CFP) — findings are meant to be checked, which is why each one names its source. The ten-year window covers individual (T1) returns; corporations and ordinary trusts don't get it, and Quebec is a separate filing with its own rules.

How far back:

Up to 10 years, individual returns (a T1)

Best for:

Seeing what's there before involving anyone

e.g. Canada Tax Reviews

Firms that review past returns and take a share of whatever comes back instead of charging upfront. Canada Tax Reviews markets a full ten-year review and states it takes 33% of the first $25,000 refunded, then 10% above that. For some people that trade-off is genuinely preferable — nothing out of pocket, and no cost if nothing is found. Just do the arithmetic on a realistic recovery before signing, and read the fee terms as carefully as you would any contingency arrangement.

How far back:

Markets a full 10-year review

Best for:

You'd rather pay nothing upfront

taxreviews.ca

Licensed professional

The only option here where a licensed professional is unambiguously involved, and the only one that can represent you to the CRA if a claim is questioned. That matters more than price if your situation is incorporated, spans multiple entities, crosses a border, or is already under review. Figures you'll see quoted for a simple T1 come from firms' own marketing rather than any independent survey, so treat them as estimates. Provincial CPA bodies publish directories for finding one.

How far back:

However many you ask for

Best for:

Complexity, or if you need representation