Is CloudTax free in Canada?

CloudTax has a free tier that covers simple returns: T4 employment income, basic deductions, RRSP, and standard credits. The free tier is sufficient for most T4 employees. CloudTax Pro ($20/year or ~$30 for a single filing season) is required for self-employment income (T2125), rental income (T776), foreign income, and some investment slips. All plans are NETFILE-certified and support CRA Auto-fill. Unlike Wealthsimple Tax (which is also free with pay-what-you-want), CloudTax has a harder paywall for self-employed features.

What makes CloudTax different from other Canadian tax software?

CloudTax is built mobile-first — the app experience on iOS and Android is polished and designed for smartphone filing from the start, rather than being a web conversion. The filing process uses a guided interview style similar to TurboTax, asking questions conversationally rather than presenting tax forms. This makes it accessible for younger filers or those filing on their phone. The tradeoff is that the free tier is more limited than Wealthsimple Tax (also free) and the self-employed paid tier is less comprehensive than TurboTax Premium.

Can CloudTax handle investments, T3 and T5 slips?

The free tier handles T5 interest and dividend income. T3 slips and capital gains from securities require CloudTax Pro. The capital gains module supports Schedule 3 entries for securities sold during the year, but lacks the detailed adjusted cost base tracking that more complex investors need. For a simple portfolio with a few T5 bank interest slips and some basic dividends, the free tier works. Active investors with multiple T3 slips from ETFs or capital gain/loss tracking should consider UFile or TurboTax instead.

Does CloudTax support Quebec provincial returns?

CloudTax supports Quebec TP-1 provincial returns in CloudTax Pro (paid tier). Quebec is not available in the free tier. This differs from UFile and H&R Block which include Quebec in their paid tiers as standard. CloudTax''s Quebec support is functional but less polished for complex Quebec-specific situations (QPIP, RPP, RL slips) compared to dedicated Quebec-strong software.

How does CloudTax compare to Wealthsimple Tax?

Both are free for basic returns and use a guided interview style. Wealthsimple Tax is free for all situations (including self-employment) with pay-what-you-want pricing. CloudTax charges for self-employed, rental, and foreign income. Wealthsimple Tax has a slightly cleaner desktop experience; CloudTax has a stronger native mobile app. For someone who only needs free filing, Wealthsimple Tax is generally the better choice. CloudTax is worth considering if you primarily file on your phone and prefer its specific interview flow.

CloudTax uses TLS encryption for data transmission and is NETFILE-certified by CRA, which requires meeting CRA security standards. Your data is stored on Canadian servers. Like all cloud-based tax software, CloudTax requires you to trust the platform with sensitive financial and identity data including your SIN, address, and income figures. Use a strong unique password, enable any two-factor authentication offered, and log out after each session.

CloudTax Canada Review 2026 | Free Mobile Tax Filing for Simple Returns

Item: CloudTax
Rating: 3.8

CloudTax Review 2026

Quick Overview

Feature	Details
Price	$0 (basic) / ~$30 (Pro, per season)
Platform	Web, iOS, Android (mobile-first)
Mobile experience	✅ Excellent — native app
CRA Auto-fill	✅
NETFILE	✅
Quebec returns (TP-1)	✅ Pro tier only
Self-employment (T2125)	✅ Pro tier only
Rental income (T776)	✅ Pro tier only
Interview style	✅ Guided conversational
T3 slips / capital gains	✅ Pro tier

Rating

Category	Score
Price/value (free tier)	★★★★
Mobile experience	★★★★★
Ease of use	★★★★★
Feature completeness (free)	★★★
Feature completeness (paid)	★★★★
Self-employed support	★★★
Overall	★★★½

Pricing

Plan	Price	What’s included
Free	$0	T4 employment, RRSP, basic credits, T5 (some)
CloudTax Pro	~$30/season	+ Self-employment, rental, T3, capital gains, Quebec, foreign income

Free vs Pro: What You Get

Feature	Free	Pro
T4 employment income	✅	✅
RRSP / PRPP	✅	✅
T5 dividend and interest income	✅ Basic	✅ Full
T3 trust / ETF income	❌	✅
Capital gains (Schedule 3)	❌	✅
Self-employment income (T2125)	❌	✅
Rental income (T776)	❌	✅
Quebec TP-1	❌	✅
Foreign income (T1135)	❌	✅
Medical expenses, charitable	✅	✅
Disability tax credit	✅	✅
CRA Auto-fill	✅	✅

CloudTax vs Wealthsimple Tax: Free Tier Comparison

Feature	CloudTax Free	Wealthsimple Tax (Free)
Price	$0	$0 (pay-what-you-want)
Self-employment	❌ (Pro required)	✅ Free
Rental income	❌ (Pro required)	✅ Free
T3 / capital gains	❌ (Pro required)	✅ Free
Quebec provincial	❌ (Pro required)	✅ Free
Native mobile app	★★★★★	★★★★ (web-responsive)
Interview style	Guided	Guided
Best for	Mobile T4-only filers	Anyone wanting full features free

Verdict on free tier: Wealthsimple Tax wins on breadth of free features. CloudTax wins on native mobile experience.

CloudTax vs StudioTax for Simple Returns

Feature	CloudTax Free	StudioTax Free
Price	$0	$0
Mobile app	★★★★★	❌ No mobile
Interview style	Guided	Form-based
Ease for first-time filers	★★★★★	★★★
Feature depth	Basic	More comprehensive
Quebec	Pro only	❌ Not available

Best Use Cases for CloudTax

Profile	CloudTax fit
Young professional, T4 only, filing on phone	✅ Excellent — mobile-first, free
Student filing a simple return	✅ Free tier handles it easily
Gig worker with contract income (T4A)	✅ Free handles T4A basic
Self-employed with business expenses	⚠️ Pro required — Wealthsimple Tax or UFile may be better value
Investor with T3 slips and capital gains	⚠️ Pro required — limited compared to TurboTax/UFile
Quebec resident	⚠️ Pro required — not as strong as UFile for Quebec
Filing multiple family returns	❌ Per-return pricing — UFile is cheaper for 3+

Bottom Line

CloudTax is the best-designed mobile tax app for simple Canadian returns. The free tier handles the most common scenario — T4 employee with RRSP and basic deductions — smoothly from a smartphone. For anything beyond that, the Pro upgrade is required, and at that point Wealthsimple Tax (more features free) or UFile (8 returns for $19.95) offer better value. Choose CloudTax if you primarily file on your phone and your return is straightforward.

Security and privacy

CloudTax stores your tax data on Canadian cloud servers. The company uses TLS encryption for data in transit and AES-256 encryption for data at rest. Your SIN and financial information are handled under CRA’s NETFILE Privacy Policy, which requires all certified software providers to meet minimum security standards.

Key privacy considerations:

Feature	CloudTax practice
Data storage	Canadian servers
Encryption	TLS + AES-256
CRA data sharing	Only the NETFILE transmission — not ongoing
Account deletion	Available on request
Third-party data sharing	Marketing preferences configurable

As with all tax software, your return is transmitted to CRA via NETFILE over an encrypted connection. CloudTax has been CRA NETFILE-certified continuously since 2016, indicating it meets CRA’s ongoing technical and security standards.

Annual update timeline

CloudTax typically releases its updated software for each new tax year in January–February, shortly after CRA publishes final form updates. Updates for new credits (FHSA, new benefit programs) generally appear within 2–4 weeks of CRA finalizing the related form. Check the CloudTax changelog or App Store release notes to confirm your version reflects the most recent forms before filing.

→ Back to: Complete Canadian Tax Guide