Getting My Income Taxes Done at H&R Block Canada #incometax #tax

Does the thought of doing your income taxes fill you with dread?

It does for many Canadians. Figuring out what slips you need, what information goes in what spot and if you might be missing something important are very stressful.

Why fret and sweat, trying to figure out your taxes when you can have qualified help from tax professionals at H&R Block?

I've done my taxes with them for over 8 years now and I've been satisfied each and every time. My needs have changed as I had kids and bought a house and went on disability but H&R Block is able to carry over my past information each year so that they just have to make minimal alterations to my file and it's up to date. This year I had to add my son Liam who was born in 2011. I gave them his name, birth date and SIN # and boom, he is in the system with his sisters.

Just this past week we went in to do our taxes, my husband and I . You can make an appointment but we just walked in, gave them our names and SIN numbers and sat down to wait. When it was our turn, we were led to a small cubicle (for privacy) where a very friendly tax professional asked us how we were doing. If you aren't sure what you will need to bring with, you can call one of their offices first and ask.

We signed our privacy agreements and then got right down to work. He went over what papers we had brought and our situation to figure out if we had all the papers we needed. It turns out we forgot one but he was able to calculate it out so we didn't have to go back to search for it. He also reminded us that now that our children are older and will be getting into sports and other activities, that we need to keep receipts for anything we pay for them, to be claimed next year.

One thing I really like, is that I can see the computer he is working on, and watch him input the information so I know it's going in right. If I see an error, I could point it out right away. Not that he made any errors, but I like seeing the process.

As he inputted our information, the computer changed it around to work the best for us. This year, my husband claimed the house, I claimed the kids and I claimed our boarder. It's different every year because the computer is smart and as I said, it will move things around as needed to get you the best possible return.

By going in and having them do your taxes for you, you mostly just sit there and answer questions while they do all the hard work for you.

Also, H&R Block offers:

Maximum Refund Guarantee (they will get the biggest refund possible)
Audit Assistance (they will stand by you and help if you get audited)
Second Look Service (if a past year's return was not done by H&R Block, they will look it over to ensure you got biggest possible refund.)

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By giving your email to them, you get newsletters will helpful tips, reminders to do your taxes and FAQS about what you can claim. You can also call H&R Block, year round with your tax questions, such as wondering: Do I have to claim blog income?

If you still prefer to do your taxes from your own home, H&R Block offers that too. They even help out US citizens living in Canada, who must do US taxes too.

Be sure to check out Tax Talk - the H&R Block blog. For example, did you know that there were changes to the Ontario credits that will affect if you get a refund?

*Disclosure: I received gift certificates to do my taxes for free in exchange for this review. All opinions are honest. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Article: Saving Money with Everyday Purchases

If you want to focus on saving money, it has to start with everyday purchases. It is always good to revisit your insurance and other monthly bills to try and save on them, but you need to make sure to get the best price on household products, clothing, appliances and other regular items you need for your home. The best way to go is by shopping online. Avoid the hassle of driving to the store and searching for what you need. Then if you don’t find the item you want, or the price seems too high, you continue going from store to store.

Online shopping simplifies the process with search bars, categories and sale sections. If you are looking for top products, look no farther than Sears. They have top name brands like Craftsman, Lands End, Die Hard, Kenmore and many more. There site has deals of the day and sale items. All these products can be combined with Sears Coupons to enhance your savings and make shopping online the best option. In addition, Sears also owns Kmart, so they have similar items on their site along with a clearance section. Combine the discounts with Kmart Coupons and you will have money to spend on more fun and exciting endeavors like travel and leisure. Save yourself time and money, check online deals at all the major retailers before driving out to the store. Even better is that you can get free shipping coupons to have it delivered at no cost? Hope this helps in your savings effort.

Monique Rowe is a guest writer for My Coupons.com and also writes about thrifty living on her own blog: The One Income Dollar.


Disclosure: This post brought to you by Monique Rowe.

Guest Post: 10 Ways To Make Money as a Stay-at-Home Mom

The following is a guest post by Randall Davidson of Audio Transcription.

Although the economy is slowly starting to turn around, millions of people across the country are still out of work and struggling financially. Many stay-at-home moms are facing the difficult choice between being at home to raise their children and returning to work to ensure that their families can make ends meet. In this post, I offer 10 ways that stay-at-home moms can make money without having to entrust their children to daycare or nannies. All of these jobs offer mothers the opportunity to supplement their family's income while still being present for their children.

1. Freelance writing - Local and online journals and magazines often struggle to fill space with relevant content. Generally, these positions pay by the word. The more extensive your freelance portfolio, the higher this rate will be. A great way to create a body of work is to volunteer -- for a little while -- as a contributor until you've built up your portfolio.
2. Customer Service - More than 200,000 people within the US offer customer support from home. At-home customer service representatives answer phone calls, schedule appointments and provide information about the organizations they represent.
3. Consulting - Consultants offer services and/or advice in their area(s) of expertise. This form of employment offers the option of working as a contractor for both small and large organizations. Consultants offer specialized knowledge about a variety of subject areas, which can be as specific as lactation consulting or as broad as social media consulting.
4. Web Development - For those with technical skills, web developers are in high demand. This type of work offers a schedule that is far more flexible than most other opportunities.
5. Data Entry - This job requires one to input data into a web interface from a variety of source documents. The faster you type, the more you can earn. High speed internet is a requirement for this type of position.
6. Educational Work - These positions often require a college degree or a teaching certificate. Typically, those who do educational work from home are either grading tests or tutoring students. This could be seasonal work.
7. Research - Companies will hire at-home workers to conduct research for their businesses, court documentation or to complete background checks on potential employees. High speed internet access is necessary for this position.
8. Voice-over Work - This type of work tends to be assigned on a freelance basis. Sites like Voice.net offer a platform for voice actors and professional voice-over talent to post samples of work and connect with businesses looking for talent.
9. Your Old Job - Depending on the nature of your work with your previous employer, many organizations are now comfortable with the work from home concept if you have a work history with that company. Ask your previous employer's human resources department about these opportunities or speak directly with your old boss.
10. Transcription -The US Department of Labor estimates that the medical transcription industry will grow by 11% between 2008 and 2018.  Even outside of medical transcription, there will be a continued need for the conversion of files from audio to text across a variety of fields that will encourages employers to use transcription services.

Randall Davidson is a co-founder of the innovative, San Francisco-based Audio Transcription, a transcription services company. His company employs a number of stay-at-home moms as members of its professional transcription team. Randall is committed to providing individuals and businesses with the information and tools they need to achieve success, through the articles he writes for popular blogs; through the employment opportunities he offers to talented individuals; and through the top-notch voice transcription services that Audio Transcription provides.