Overview

CloudTax is Canadian tax software for filing returns through self-guided tools or paid review and preparation services. It is best suited to individuals and small businesses that want support for varied income and a choice of how much help to buy. Its flexibility is useful, but the free option is limited to two simple returns.

Key features

CloudTax supports self-employment, investment, and rental income, and includes state filing. That makes it relevant to more than straightforward employment-income returns; for complex cases, its review and preparation services offer an alternative to handling everything yourself.

Returns are submitted to the CRA through NETFILE, and CloudTax has been CRA-certified since the 2018 tax year. Filers can import CRA slips or scan and upload tax documents for AI extraction and auto-fill. Koinly support adds a crypto-tax workflow, while CloudReceipts captures and categorizes receipts and syncs expenses for deductions.

Tax data is encrypted on CloudTax’s secure servers. CloudTax says it shares information only with the CRA when a user submits through NETFILE. Support channels include live chat, email, video tutorials, and tax experts. Plus adds priority support and audit protection. Refunds typically take 2 to 12 weeks; NETFILE refunds usually arrive in about two weeks.

The Business API embeds tax filing and tax insights into fintech, banking, and financial-service platforms. That gives those providers a way to add tax workflows to their services, rather than serving as a general-purpose integration for individual filers.

Pricing

CloudTax Free costs 0.00 USD per free, billed Free forever. It offers self-guided basic tax return support, allows users to pay even $0, and covers up to two returns for simple tax situations. It is a sensible starting point for a small number of uncomplicated filings, but the return cap and simple-situation boundary make it a poor fit for larger households or more involved tax needs.

CloudTax Plus costs 39.00 USD per year, billed as an annual subscription. It raises capacity to 20 returns from one dashboard and adds priority support, audit protection, and CloudReceipts Personal. That is the clearest fit for someone filing several returns who wants those added services; those filing only one or two simple returns may not need the upgrade.

Per-return services include Review & File Basic at 75.00 USD per month, Review & File Premium at 125.00 USD per month, and Review & File Business at 149.00 USD per month. Done For You Basic is 99.00 USD per month, Done For You Premium is 249.00 USD per month, and Done For You Business is 349.00 USD per month. Each is billed per return and has a limit of two returns. The higher-touch options suit filers seeking review or preparation instead of self-guided filing, but their per-return pricing is a substantial step up from the annual Plus subscription.

Additional per-return options have custom pricing: Business Review is billed at $149 per return and includes T2125 support for self-employed and business income; Premium Review is billed at $99 per return for more complex returns, including rental and foreign income; Premium Done For You is billed at $149 per return for rental property, partnership, emigrant, and final tax returns; and Business Done For You is billed at $249 per return for full preparation of business or self-employment income, with T2 excluded. CloudTax says excess accidental payments will be refunded.

Platforms

CloudTax offers web access and apps for iOS and Android. That combination suits filers who want to work across devices, while mobile availability alone does not change the free plan’s return and complexity limits.

Who it's for

CloudTax makes the most sense for Canadian filers who need support for self-employment, investment, or rental income and want to choose between self-guided filing, professional review, and preparation. Plus is especially relevant to people managing up to 20 returns from one dashboard. Filers with simple needs and no more than two returns can start with Free; those who want a professional to review or prepare a return can consider the per-return services.

Pros and cons

Pros

Several income types are supported: Self-employment, investment, and rental income support makes CloudTax useful beyond simple returns.
Flexible filing help: Self-guided filing sits alongside review and full-preparation options, so users can choose how much assistance they want.
Useful document tools: CRA slip imports, AI document extraction, Koinly support, and CloudReceipts can reduce manual entry and help organize deduction-related expenses.
Higher-volume subscription option: Plus covers up to 20 returns from one dashboard and adds priority support, audit protection, and CloudReceipts Personal.

Cons

Free is narrowly capped: The two-return limit and simple-situation restriction can push users with more involved needs toward a paid plan.
Assisted options cost more per return: Review and preparation plans are billed per return, making them less suited to filers seeking low-cost self-service.
Business Done For You excludes T2: It covers business or self-employment preparation, but not T2 corporate returns.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, browse Personal Tax Software.

TaxAct is worth considering for an eligible standard return if free federal filing matters and paying separately for state filing is acceptable; its web-based Free plan is limited by income and deductions.

TurboTax offers a web-based free edition for simple Form 1040 returns, with a 79 Do It Yourself Deluxe plan for those who need a paid tier.

Taxumo may suit API-oriented users looking for income and expense management with real-time tax calculations; its Free plan excludes preparation, filing, and payment.

H&R Block Online is an alternative for simple tax situations across web, iOS, and Android; its free option is billed per state filed.

ClearTax is an alternative for DIY income-tax return filing or salaried employees with a single Form 16.

TaxSlayer is an alternative whose Simply Free plan includes one federal return and one state return.

TaxDown offers a free way to calculate a tax return result, while filing requires a plan; it supports Android, iOS, and web.

TurboTax Canada is another option for simple tax situations, with web, iOS, and Android access.

Verdict

Choose CloudTax if you need Canadian filing support for varied income, want a choice between self-guided and assisted services, or need to manage multiple returns under Plus. Its strongest case is the combination of broad income support and flexible assistance. Look elsewhere if the free two-return cap is too restrictive or if you need T2 corporate-return preparation.

	autotax	CloudTax
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	—	$3.25/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Web	Android, iOS
Free plan	No	Yes
Self-employment support	Yes	Yes
Investment income	Yes	Yes
Rental income	Yes	Yes
State filing	none	included
Mobile access	web_only	web_and_mobile
Paid from	—	Free
Audit support	—	Yes

autotax vs CloudTax

autotax

CloudTax