Get ready for your personal tax return in minutes
This checklist has one purpose: helping you prepare for a personal tax return appointment. Tick the income slips and deductions that apply to you, and when you book, your list travels with your booking to the office you choose.
It's based on the Personal Tax Return Documents Checklist in our brochure. Going through it before you arrive helps you remember the receipts people most often forget, and it gives our team a clear picture of your return before you sit down.
It also supports our mission: helping Edmontonians claim every eligible deduction and expense they're entitled to but often miss through lack of awareness. A minute spent ticking boxes can bring a forgotten credit to light.
How the checklist works
Four simple steps take you from checklist to booked appointment.
- 1
Tick what applies
Go through the income and deduction items and tick the ones that apply to you. Leave the rest blank; most people only need a few.
- 2
Choose your location
Select Edmonton – Whyte Ave or Sherwood Park from the dropdown, and that office's calendar appears.
- 3
Pick a time
Choose an available day and time and enter your contact details.
- 4
Your checklist goes with your booking
Your ticked checklist is attached to your booking and sent to the office you chose – Reception@TrehanTax.com for Whyte Ave or Sherwood@TrehanTax.com for Sherwood Park – and you receive a confirmation email.
For personal tax return appointments only
The checklist applies only to personal tax return appointments. If you're booking for something else, such as a corporate return, bookkeeping, payroll, GST, business set-up, consultation or a CRA letter, simply book a regular appointment with the office of your choice.
If you're self-employed and not incorporated, your business income is part of your personal return, so tick self-employed income (T2125) and bring your records. Returns that include self-employed, taxi, Uber or Skip income are priced differently, and we'll confirm the price before we start.
Not sure whether an item applies? Tick it anyway or ask us at the appointment. It's always easier to rule something out together than to miss it.
What to bring in person
Ticking items tells us what to expect; the documents themselves come with you.
Identification and personal details
- Your SIN, name, date of birth and address
- The same details for your spouse or common-law partner
- SIN, name, date of birth and relationship for dependants living with you
Slips and statements
- Every income slip you ticked, such as T4, T4A, T5 or T3
- Rental, self-employed and support income records
- Your most recent notice of assessment, if you have it
Receipts
- RRSP and donation receipts
- Childcare, medical and tuition receipts
- Receipts for any other deductions you ticked
- Your December pay stub for employer medical insurance
Tips for your situation
A few general pointers for common situations; we'll confirm what applies to you.
Families
Bring childcare and baby sitting receipts, preschool and school lunch fees, and every family member's details. Filing on time keeps benefits like the Canada child benefit and GST/HST credit flowing.
Students
Bring your T2202 tuition slip and any TL11A for study outside Canada. Unused tuition can be carried forward, and only interest on government student loans qualifies for the student loan interest credit.
Seniors
Bring your T4A(P), T4A(OAS) and T4RIF slips. Pension income splitting with a spouse using form T1032 may help, and medical expenses can be claimed for any 12-month period ending in the year.
Newcomers
Bring the date you arrived in Canada and details of income earned before and after you arrived. Filing each year helps keep benefit and credit payments, like the GST/HST credit, flowing.
Side income
Tick self-employed income (T2125) and bring your records and a kilometre logbook. Since the 2024 calendar year, digital platforms report sellers' and service providers' income to the CRA.
What happens at your appointment
Because your checklist arrives with your booking, we can start with what matters. We go through your slips and receipts with you, ask about anything that might affect your return and check for deductions and credits you may be entitled to.
We prepare your T1 Personal Income Tax Return and applicable schedules and explain the result in plain language, including what you owe or what refund to expect and why. If there's something worth planning for next year, such as RRSP contributions or better records for medical expenses, we'll mention it.
After filing, the CRA sends a Notice of Assessment. Keep it with your tax records for six years from the end of the tax year they relate to, and bring it to your appointment next year.
$60 for your personal tax return
Our price for a personal tax return is $60. That includes all T4, T4A, T5, T4E, T4RSP, T4A(P), T4A(OAS), T5007 and T2202A slips, plus donations, children's information, childcare expenses, medical expenses and RRSP receipts.
Combined returns follow our price list: Personal + Taxi/Uber/Skip is $140, Personal + Uber + Skip is $200, and self-employed business returns are $120 – $200. Please note that once we have started working on your file, the charges will apply even if you don't want us to complete your tax return and want the file back.
- All T4, T4A, T5 and T4E slips
- T4RSP, T4A(P), T4A(OAS) and T5007 slips
- T2202A tuition slips
- Donations and RRSP receipts
- Children's information and childcare expenses
- Medical expenses