- with a report from CTV's Eleanor Coopsammy
ctvwinnipeg.ca

Family tests out variety of ways for preparing tax returns

CTV News recruited a Winnipeg family to test out what kind of returns
it would get back, based on what type of service they used to file
their tax return.

Jen and Mike Buhler have three children, all of them in daycare. Last
year, Jen worked full time, while Mike went to school full-time and
worked as an apprentice electrician.
When it came to filing their taxes, they were torn between doing it
online themselves, versus filing with a tax-preparation company or
with an accountant.

They agreed to talk to CTV to see if where they prepared their taxes
had an effect on how much they got back.

Last year was the first time they filed online and a mistake cost them
money.

"We took out an RRSP loan for our first home. It was supposed to be a
repayment and it didn't go in as a repayment, so that money was billed
as income," said Jen Buhler.

Despite that issue, the Buhlers agreed to try online software again as
part of CTV's tax test.

Once again, however, they encountered some issues. They couldn't
figure out where to put Mike's credit for his work tools, so they left
it out.

As part of the tax test, they also met with certified management
accountant Heather Benci.

"I would recommend anyone who feels overwhelmed with their tax return
to come and see someone like me," said Benci.

The family also had its return prepared at an H & R Block location.

"It might be a more economical way for them to go and still know that
they're getting someone who knows taxes," said Cleo Hamel at H & R
Block.

Using the three methods gave a range of potential returns.

It cost $200 to have an accountant prepare a return, which would have
given the family a return of $4,785.24.

Having a return prepared H & R Block cost $145. The family found out
it would receive a return of $4,089. But, when Mike went to pay for
preparing the return, he was surprised with what he heard.

"They told me that they had made a mistake on our return because of
our childcare, said Mike.

The family would have got another $400 on their return with the
oversight corrected before filing.

"I think we could have easily made that same mistake, but I'd be
pretty mad to pay someone a whole bunch of money and realize they made
that big of a mistake," said Jen.
Officials with H & R Block noted the mistake was caught before the
return was submitted to Revenue Canada and said returns are double
checked.

Preparing a return using the online Turbo Tax Program showed the
biggest return for the family. The program cost $44.79 and showed a
potential return of $5,147.57.

While the Buhler family would have received the most money back by
submitting a return using the online program, Mark and Jen didn't feel
confident with what they had entered into it.

"It's money in our pocket to go with Turbo Tax Route, but then there's
that (issue) if we (made) a mistake we could get dinged later," said
Mike.

In the end, the Buhlers are still deciding which service they will use
to officially file their taxes.

The three returns prepared for the family could not all be filed with
Revenue Canada, so it's difficult to say which one was correct.

Experts suggest the more you know about what you're entitled to
receive in credits and deductions, the more likely you'll get back
what you really deserve.

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