We’re not going to pretend that we know everything about taxes. The last time we filed (on our own) it felt a little like a (well-meaning) stab in the dark. Fortunately, H&R Block’s Free Second Look offering means any monetary mistakes we made in the past can be fixed—and its (also free) $10 for 10 Challenge guarantees we’ll leave with a little extra cash in our pockets, to boot.
The two services, which can be accessed individually or simultaneously at H&R Block storefronts across Canada, see a seasoned pro (like Dagmar, who helped us at the tax-prep company’s Fraser Street office in Vancouver) check your previous tax returns for errors and overlooked deductions. Our consult started with Dagmar taking some basic info in order to gain access to our file via Revenue Canada. Once authorization was granted (a lightning-quick process, when no issues come up), she noted the time and our 10 minutes started ticking. She went through our paperwork (Free Second Look requires you to bring forms and slips from up to three past returns, while, thanks to sophisticated H&R Block software, $10 for 10 lets you come in totally empty handed—besides your photo ID) and, with her eagle-eye for numbers, found several areas that could use adjustment; one T3 slip, for instance, was amiss, and we neglected to claim some tax-saving charitable expenses—luckily, these are good for five years. She also gave practical advice for next year’s return, like the kid fitness and arts credits we claimed last year, for instance, are no more.
Our 10 minutes up, Dagmar assured us we’d done a good job filing our 2016 return (phew!) and handed us a $10 prepaid Visa card (to spend wisely, of course!). Had she found any missed credits or deductions that caused us to pay more than necessary or reduced the size of our refund, H&R Block would have helped us get back the money we missed by filing, for a fair fee, an adjustment with the CRA.
Talk about a win-win situation! Taxes, we fear you no more. —Noa Nichol
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