Personal Tax Returns in Edmonton and Sherwood Park

A personal tax return done properly, at a fair price

Most people don't need complicated tax planning. They need someone who will sit down with their slips and receipts, ask the right questions, and make sure nothing they're entitled to claim gets left behind. That's what our personal tax return service is built around, and it has been at the heart of our practice since Trehan & Company was established in 2009.

We prepare the T1 Personal Income Tax Return and whatever schedules apply to you. Our aim is convenient, accurate and affordable preparation, whether your return is a single T4 or a household's worth of pension slips, tuition receipts, medical expenses and childcare costs.

Our mission is to help Edmontonians claim every eligible deduction and expense they're entitled to but often miss through lack of awareness. A return that's filed quickly but leaves a credit behind isn't a good deal at any price.

Newcomers, seniors and students

If you're new to Canada, your first return can feel unfamiliar. Filing on time matters even when there's little income to report, because filing is what keeps benefit and credit payments, like the Canada child benefit and the GST/HST credit, flowing. We'll walk through what to report for your first year and explain what the CRA will send you afterwards.

Seniors often have slips from several sources: T4A(P) for CPP, T4A(OAS) for Old Age Security, T4RIF for RRIF withdrawals and pension slips. Couples can use form T1032 to split up to half of eligible pension income with a spouse or common-law partner, which can make a real difference to the household's combined tax. We'll check whether it applies to you.

Students should bring every T2202 tuition slip, plus form TL11A for tuition paid outside Canada. Unused tuition amounts can be carried forward, and only interest on government student loans qualifies for the student loan interest credit. If you moved at least 40 km closer to a full-time post-secondary school, some moving costs may also be deductible.

Deductions people often miss

Many of the claims we find for clients aren't unusual at all. They're ordinary expenses that people didn't know counted, or receipts they didn't think to bring. Our checklist exists because the same items get overlooked year after year.

Medical expenses are a common one. Beyond prescriptions and dental bills, the checklist asks about medical insurance through your employer (that's why we ask for your December pay stub), travel insurance for trips outside Canada, and medical expenses incurred outside Canada, including related travel. Medical expenses can be claimed for any 12-month period ending in the tax year, so the period you choose can matter.

Moving expenses are another. If you moved at least 40 km closer to a new job or full-time school, costs such as household moving, realtor commission and legal fees on selling your old home, legal fees on buying the new one, and vehicle inspection and registration in a new province may qualify. Parents should also bring receipts for babysitting, preschool registration and fees, and the cost of finding a private babysitter.

Other items worth asking about include the disability tax credit (form T2201, certified by a medical practitioner), the home accessibility expense, the family caregiver amount, multi-generational home renovations, the first-time home buyer amount, tools for tradespeople, the labour mobility deduction, long-haul truck drivers' meal expenses on form TL2, investment loan interest, digital news subscriptions, air quality improvement, and volunteer firefighter or search and rescue service. You don't need to know whether each one applies – tick it on the checklist and we'll confirm.

Deadlines and what happens if you're late

For most people, the deadline to file a personal return and pay any balance owing is April 30. If you or your spouse or common-law partner carried on a business during the year, the filing deadline is June 15 – but any balance owing is still due April 30. When a deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, it moves to the next business day.

Filing late when you owe can be expensive. The CRA's late-filing penalty is 5% of the balance owing plus 1% for each full month the return is late, up to 12 months, and interest is charged on unpaid balances. Even if you can't pay right away, it's worth filing on time.

RRSP contributions made up to 60 days after the end of the year, around March 1, can be deducted on the previous year's return, so bring those receipts too. Keep your tax records and receipts for six years from the end of the tax year they relate to.

Filing as a couple or a family

Several credits and deductions are connected between spouses and common-law partners, including pension splitting, childcare, medical expenses, donations and the family caregiver amount. When we can see the whole household's picture, it's easier to make sure each claim lands on the return where it belongs.

If parents or grandparents live with you, or you support an eligible dependant, bring their details as well. Their SIN, name, date of birth and relationship to you are part of the checklist for exactly this reason.

We believe in building long-term relationships with our clients. The more we know about your family from year to year, the easier it is to spot changes – a new baby, a move, a retirement – that affect what you can claim.