"I have been working as a tax preparer for three years now. Before I started, I completed a tax preparation certification course with Liberty Tax. The course taught me the tax laws in Ontario and Canada, how to prepare tax returns and how to file them."

"I lived in British Columbia and worked as a tax preparer for two years before moving here to Saskatchewan. When I moved, I took a tax preparation seminar in Saskatoon to learn about province-specific tax regulations. So, I am familiar with tax regulations in British Columbia and Saskatchewan, but I'm happy to work with clients from anywhere in Canada."

"To prepare their taxes, I'd request all of their employment and income slips, such as their T4s, T5008, T3s. I would also ask for any relevant receipts to make deductions, such as donation receipts or childcare. If they were a student, I would request tuition documents. If they own a property to live in or rent, I would request mortgage, property tax, and/or rental income statements. Finally, if they owned a business, I would need business income and expense information. Then, to file their taxes, I would ask them to sign Form T183, which gives me permission to file their taxes."

"I always recommend clients file electronically as they can get their return quicker, but will ultimately file however the client wants. If I'm working with a repeat client though, I inform them I need to file electronically once I've filed 10 returns for them as per the Income Tax Act."

"I used the EFILE web service in my previous role as a tax preparer to file electronic tax returns for clients. I registered for the service and passed the suitability screening three years ago. I recently renewed my account at the end of November, as tax preparers must do every year."

"In my previous role, I was self-employed and worked from home, so I kept all my files in a locked cabinet within a lockable office. Only I had the key to both the cabinet and the office. I gave clients a copy of their records and shredded the files after six years, as clients were no longer legally required to keep them. For any client information I had electronically, I encrypted the files to secure them. If I was working in a public space, I used a virtual private network (VPN) to further secure my electronic information."

"I always use certified tax preparation software when preparing my clients' taxes, which reduces errors. I also double-check any information I input, including social security numbers, names and deductions before I file the return. If I notice an error, I'll prepare the tax return again to ensure it's correct."

"Small business tax deductions vary depending on the type of business, but I generally look at eight categories of deductions for small businesses. First, if the business has a home office, I can deduct mortgage interest, utilities, repairs or maintenance, home insurance, and property taxes. Small business owners can also deduct vehicle expenses, such as gas, car insurance, parking fees, maintenance and toll charges. Other categories to look at are accounting or legal fees, office rent, advertising, meals and entertainment, insurance, and capital assets."

"The Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) can audit taxes years after you file them. So, I tell clients to keep their tax records and supporting documents for six years, as per CRA guidelines."

"I stay up to date with current tax regulations by subscribing to accounting magazines. I receive a copy of Accounting Today every month and read an online copy of Pivot Magazine every two months. This allows me to stay up to date with relevant news stories, regulations and trends."

"The size of their return upset one client I worked with in the past, and they said I filed their taxes incorrectly. I set a meeting with them and went through their records and the information I had filed to explain why their tax return was lower than they expected. Once I went over everything, they realized they forgot about one of their income slips and apologized."

"Every client I work with has their own file, whether it's an electronic one or a physical one in my filing cabinet. I organize files alphabetically and they contain all of the information clients send me, as well as their contact information in case I need to reach them quickly."

"As tax preparers must use tax preparation software certified by the CRA, I typically use FutureTax for EFILE. I also have experience with UFILE Pro, TaxFreeway Express Win and StudioTax Enterprise. I taught myself how to use all of these programs, so I would be happy to learn how to use any other software you prefer."

"In Canada, spouses and common-law partners cannot file joint income tax returns as they can in other countries, such as the United States. Instead, each person files their own tax return, and indicates their marital status and information on their return. If two people are in a conjugal relationship and live together for 12 months or have a child together, they must file as common-law partners."

"I would take on any client that needed my help, even if they had overdue tax payments. I would set a meeting with them to find out why their taxes are overdue. If it was because they couldn't afford to pay the balance they owe, I would help them set up payment arrangements with the CRA. If it was because they didn't know what their tax obligations were, I would explain it to them, file their taxes, and offer my yearly services."