Students: file your taxes free online
Your taxes are due at midnight on April 30. Are you ready?
Many students’ tax returns are easy — for a trained accountant. As belts are tightened during the recession, it’s important for us poor students to get as much back from our tax return as possible.
If you’re a student reading this, did you know you can claim $400 for each month of university or college attended? Receive a tax credit of $65 per month for textbooks? Claim any tuition fees over $100 as a tax credit? Claim up to $250 in gym membership or team sport fees?
Many students miss available credits when filing their return. An easy, free solution is to use QuickTax (quicktax.ca). Canada’s most popular tax software is completely free for students making less than $20,000 per year, and automatically highlights all the credits students are entitled to.
“In Canada, there are dozens of tax deductions specific to students,” said Cameron Moore, a tax project manager for Intuit Global Business Division, the creators of QuickTax. “Each one will boost a student’s tax refund which means more cash back.”
By answering a series of student-related questions, the QuickTax program automatically fills out the forms while checking for accuracy. Deductions are listed on the government paper forms, but it can be confusing for students who have never done their own taxes before.
“The biggest problem is not knowing exactly what can be deducted when you are a student,” Cameron said. “With QuickTax, all of the deductions are clearly identified to ensure they get the best refund possible.”
