Why does Intuit want to charge me for a free filing that I have used since I retired years ago. Nothing has changed on my end, so Intuit must have changed something.

Your information may not have changed but the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) changes the way things are calculated every year which might make a difference in certain deductions or new credits being allowed. When you start a new return, TurboTax will ask you questions about your tax situation and recommends the best product for you. As you work on your taxes, you may have to change products based on the complexity of your return. You may be upgraded to help claim expenses you’re entitled to, but might not know about.

There might be donations in box 46 of your T4 or Employee-paid premiums (medical) in box 85 of your T4 which would require an upgrade to allow you to claim additional credits not included in the free version. Please see the list below enumerating what is or is not included in the free version.

Simple tax returns include:

Employment income

Pension income

Other employment income such as tips

RRSP contributions

Child care expenses

COVID-19 benefits and re-payments

Unemployment (EI) and social assistance

Worker’s compensation

Disability amount

Worker’s benefit

Amount for eligible/infirm dependents

Tuition, scholarships, bursaries, grants, student loan interest

Caregiver tax credit

Disability transfer

Home accessibility tax credit

Tax on RESPs and RDSPs

Tax installment payments

Age amount

Income, credits, and deductions not listed above are not covered by TurboTax Free, including:

Employment expenses (meals, lodging, etc.)

Donations

Medical expenses

Investment income and expenses

Rental property income and expenses

Self-employed income and expenses

Thank you for choosing TurboTax.