Updated on 28 July 2026

The biggest question people ask when it comes to filing their taxes is whether they should hire someone to do their taxes. Hiring an accountant for taxes is a great way to help yourself out, and it provides more benefits that you may not have known about.

Doing your own taxes can help you save time, save money, and learn more about how to file taxes, but it can also get you in some sticky situations if you do not know how to do taxes. There’s more to it than meets the eye, which is why you may consider hiring an accountant for taxes.

What’s New in 2026?

• Canadians filing their taxes in 2027 will generally be filing their 2026 income tax and benefit returns. The filing deadline for most individuals will be April 30, 2027. Self-employed individuals and their spouses or common-law partners will generally have until June 15, 2027 to file, although any balance owing will be due by April 30, 2027.
• For the 2026 tax year, the lowest federal income tax rate is 14%, applying to the first $58,523 of taxable income. The remaining federal tax rates are 20.5%, 26%, 29%, and 33%, depending on the taxpayer’s income bracket. Provincial or territorial income tax rates also apply in addition to federal tax.

Benefits to Choosing a Tax Professional

Why should you choose a tax professional instead of doing your taxes yourself this year?

Comply with Set Legal Standards

There are certain legal standards you must meet when filing taxes. The professionals are experienced and have knowledge of the tax rules and regulations you should meet.

Before filing your taxes, the professional will ask you several questions to help ensure you are complying with applicable tax laws. They can help reduce the risk of mistakes that might end up being costly for you in terms of penalties, interest, or other issues with the CRA.

Saves Time and Effort

Tax filing is a process that requires a lot of time to be done in the correct way. If you try to do it yourself, it means you may waste a lot of time.

Having the knowledge to properly and thoroughly do taxes yourself takes years of experience and education, hence why CPAs are so valuable. Not to mention, your life obligations, such as running a business, can make it hard to find the time to sit down and do your taxes.

When you hire a professional, you save yourself many of these hassles since they can manage much of the tax preparation and filing process on your behalf. They have the knowledge to prepare and file your tax return efficiently. Thus, you will be able to focus more on other profitable tasks in your business.

Provide Tax Knowledge

Filing taxes involves many issues that require knowledge and experience in this field. No one else can do it better than a tax professional with several years of experience in this area.

They know the nuances involved and can help handle issues that arise. In case there is a question that arises on your return, they can help you deal with it in the right manner. If authorized to represent you, they can also assist with CRA questions, reviews, or audits and help you respond to requests for additional information.

Assist in Business Planning

A tax professional can assist you in planning for the following year. Most people have a tendency to file taxes and forget that they need to do it the following year. With a tax professional, this is less likely to happen.

They will help come up with a plan that works for you. They can give advice on how to track items such as donations and other potentially eligible deductions or credits. In addition to this, proper tax planning can help you meet your tax obligations while identifying deductions and credits for which you may be eligible.

How to Choose a Tax Professional in 2026

Once you have decided to work with a tax professional instead of filing taxes yourself, you have the daunting task of choosing from the dozens or hundreds of options available. How can you choose the most suitable tax expert for your needs?

When looking for a tax professional to prepare and file your taxes in Canada, there are a few specific things you should look for and consider.

How Long Have They Been Practicing?

While not the only indicator of skill, looking for a tax filing firm with an experienced team or working with a tax filing individual with many years under their belt can give you greater confidence that your filing gets the attention and accuracy it deserves.

Are They Trustworthy and Qualified?

Are they certified CPAs with credentials and designations? When searching to hire someone to do my taxes, qualifications aren’t a plus, they’re a must.

You can verify their CPA designation through the appropriate provincial or territorial CPA organization and, in most cases, find reviews and testimonials from real clients to help. Accountor CPA shows you testimonials of real clients to ensure your tax filing needs are met by only the best.

How Well Do They Know Your Needs?

Some tax experts and advisors focus only on small businesses, personal taxes, or large corporations. Does this professional specialize in your unique situation?

For most individuals, income tax filing is the biggest need and readily available tax help. Make sure that your accountant for taxes is qualified in other areas if you plan on starting a small business or expanding your income options. It helps to have a CPA that has a well-rounded skill set.

Great accounting services will offer a wide range of services, like bookkeeping or payroll services.

Do They Provide Good Communication?

Do they return your emails and answer your phone calls promptly? Are they available to meet and discuss your accounts regularly?

Some tax professionals show up in time for tax filing, have very little input or communication, then leave until they’re needed. Make it a requirement for yourself, your business, or your family to find a tax professional that wants to work with you, not just for you!

Be Wary of Promises and Guarantees

A skilled tax expert can help identify deductions and credits for which you may be eligible and prepare an accurate tax return. Be wary of professionals who guarantee unusually large tax refunds before reviewing your complete tax situation.

Such promises may be a warning sign that the tax preparer is using questionable tax practices, which could result in reassessments, penalties, interest, or other issues with the CRA.

Issues with Doing Your Own Taxes

Even for single individuals with one income stream and seemingly uncomplicated tax filing, there are risks associated with preparing your own tax documents.

Small Errors Can Be Costly

• Whether you’re a business owner, a freelancer, or an individual, it is extremely easy to miss one important document that can have tax consequences. Missing an income slip, failing to report taxable income, overlooking an investment transaction, or simply making a data entry error on your income or expenses can lead to reassessments, additional tax, interest, or penalties, depending on the circumstances.
• On the other hand, something you may not think can be claimed as a business expense, or a tax credit you may not be aware you qualify for, can lead to you missing eligible deductions or credits and potentially paying more tax than necessary.

Tax Filing Is Usually More Complex Than We Know

• Tax situations aren’t as straightforward as we like to think. Personal income from pay stubs isn’t the only tax obligation. Tax credits, GST/HST, tax claims, and many more make it more complicated than we truly know.
• A professional tax accountant can help identify missing information and rectify problems when it comes to tax filing to simplify it for us.

Lifestyle Changes Can Change Tax Filing Needs

• Lifestyle changes can mean plenty of things. A new job, buying a house, starting a business, having kids, starting school - all of which can change our tax filing needs.
• Major life changes can affect how we have to file our taxes, and hiring a professional accountant to help with taxes provides us the help needed to keep things organized and avoid mistakes without the chaos of life changes getting in the way.

Tax Software Isn’t Always Perfect

• Inputting your own numbers and earnings into tax software can get the job done, but it does not tell the full story. What are the goals you’re working towards with these numbers? Is there room for improvement? What do these numbers mean?
• Working with a tax professional gives you a chance to reflect on and update your financial goals each year to better suit your changing lifestyle.
• CRA-certified tax software can simplify tax preparation and filing, but it generally relies on the information you provide and may not replace personalized tax planning or professional advice for more complex tax situations.

Why You Wouldn’t Hire an Accountant

Hiring an accountant to help file taxes can be a smart choice, but not everyone wants to go this route. For that, it should be addressed why you wouldn’t hire an accountant for tax help.

1. Budget Concerns

Hiring a professional service isn’t always the most cost-efficient method. The expertise and ability to help with taxes from an accountant is valuable - hence the cost.

Not always will the need to hire a tax professional cost a lot, but it’s a budgetary consideration if you want to learn to do them yourself, save money, or use an alternative like tax software for tax filing.

2. Building Tax Filing Knowledge

On that note, learning how to file taxes yourself is something that is important so you can feel confident when the tax filing deadline is. It’s not always a guarantee you’ll learn something from your accountant.

When to hire a tax professional could be determined by how much you want to learn for tax filing yourself. Many times, though, tax experts can help you learn to build tax filing knowledge yourself.

3. Limited Availability

Depending on when you file your taxes, they may have limited availability. More often than not, good tax pros will be able to get to your tax documents in time.

Tax professionals may be especially busy as CRA filing deadlines approach, so consider contacting an accountant early enough to allow sufficient time to prepare and file your return.

Work With the Tax Professionals at Accountor CPA

The complexity of tax filing can be hard to figure out, so choosing experienced, reputable, and reliable tax professionals can be beneficial. Why worry about tax preparation yourself? Work with a certified tax professional to help meet your filing obligations and prepare and file an accurate tax return.

Accountor CPA has a highly qualified, confidential, and trustworthy team of tax experts. They have years of experience in filing taxes for small businesses, SMEs, large corporations, freelancers, individuals, and families.

Contact Accountor CPA today for a free consultation and learn how you can benefit from working with a skilled tax professional and reduce the risk of tax filing errors. Trust us, we know taxes.

Additionally, Accountor CPA offers plenty of free resources in terms of blog posts to help address issues, that includes helpful articles on understanding GST/HST payments, top accounting tools for small businesses, and many, many more.

Conclusion

Hiring an accountant isn’t always necessary, but if you want to reduce the stress of tax filing, benefit from professional expertise, and reduce the risk of costly tax filing errors, hiring an accountant can be beneficial.

Many of the benefits of hiring a tax professional include a better understanding of applicable tax rules, assistance with identifying eligible deductions and credits, and time-saving support, making professional tax assistance a valuable option during tax season.

One compelling reason to hire a tax professional rather than doing it yourself in 2026 is the expertise they bring in navigating complex tax laws and identifying deductions and credits that could be easily missed by individuals. Tax rules, thresholds, credits, and filing requirements can change from year to year, and a tax professional can help you understand how applicable changes affect your tax situation. For more detailed guidance, visit the CRA's tax information page.