UFile 2017

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AltaRed
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UFile 2017

Post by AltaRed »

Yet again, UFile is promoting their up to 25% off for Ufile 4 and Ufile 12 until Dec 11th. Same pricing as for 2016 if I recall correctly. UFile 12 would be the better deal for those doing 5 or more returns. In my case, I do 3.
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Arby
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Re: UFile 2017

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Bought Ufile 2017, but it won't be available to download until mid December.
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Re: UFile 2017

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Arby wrote: 22 Nov 2017 15:33 Bought Ufile 2017, but it won't be available to download until mid December.
I will be doing likewise. They don't issue until mid-December pending finalization of data points from CRA.
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Re: UFile 2017

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Thanks for the reminder. Just made our purchase to save a few dollars.
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Re: UFile 2017

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Now available for download... Installed and ready to go. Bring on those tax slips! :lol:
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Re: UFile 2017

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AltaRed wrote: 15 Dec 2017 16:00 Now available for download... Installed and ready to go. Bring on those tax slips! :lol:
Per the receipt confirmation, were you
UFile 2017 receipt confirmation wrote:advised by email when UFile for Windows (tax year 2017) is ready to be downloaded.
or did you just randomly try the download link they provided in the email?
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Re: UFile 2017

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Got an email today saying it was available for download...and just clicked on the link in the email.
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Re: UFile 2017

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I haven’t got an email yet. I did click on the link in my previously received confirmation email and the download link was active. Download complete.
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Re: UFile 2017

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I used to have my taxes done by accountants, but this year my income scaled back a lot and I only have:

1. Employment income
2. Capital gains on Canadian and US securities
3. Interest income

Is UFile more than enough to handle these? I read a lot about TurboTax too but more expensive. Should I just get UFile in my case?

Also, I don't think I have a NETfile account setup yet, does the software help to guide through the process? Worse comes to worst, I can still print it out and send by mail, I guess.
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Re: UFile 2017

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Yes; it will do it all. So will Studio Tax which is free, as will Simple Tax which is also free but must be done online with data on an online server which I abhor.
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Re: UFile 2017

Post by kcowan »

I have used Ufile for several years online and it works well. Free is under $25k, otherwise cheap.
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Re: UFile 2017

Post by SLeazebag »

UFile works very well. So does FutureTax, which is slightly cheaper.
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Re: UFile 2017

Post by Wing »

Thanks guys! Will buy UFILE, it's still offering 25% off by Dec 29.
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Re: UFile 2017

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I will continue to use Turbo Tax . It has all my past filings and makes easier and faster to complete my return. I know it costs a little more. It's still a lot better then what I was paying accountants 10 years ago.
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Re: UFile 2017

Post by brucecohen »

Has anyone switched from TurboTax to Ufile in the past few years. I've always bought TT because I was used to it and it did a good job on pension splitting. Does Ufile properly and automatically import TT carry-forwards and calculate optimal pension split?
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Re: UFile 2017

Post by Peculiar_Investor »

Bruce, I cannot answer the question of importing from Turbo Tax. I do know that UFile does handle optimization of pension splitting as I’ve been doing returns for my parents and depending on that feature.
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Re: UFile 2017

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brucecohen wrote: 28 Dec 2017 09:16Does Ufile properly and automatically import TT carry-forwards and calculate optimal pension split?
I haven't tried to import from TT. A query to Ufile's online assistant says:
The ability to import the previous year's tax file prepared with TurboTax® into UFile ONLINE was introduced in the 2010 tax year.
...

13- Click on the "Import an existing file" , and continue with step 13 below.
14- Click the "Browse" button, locate your 2015 TurboTax® tax file (*.tt15), and click the "Open" button.
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Re: UFile 2017

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I can confirm UFile does optimize pension splitting, and it will convert TurboTax files, but cannot confirm it if converts carry-forwards. The UFile 'community forum' might be the place to ask that. http://community.ufile.ca/
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Re: UFile 2017

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AltaRed wrote: 25 Dec 2017 11:08 Yes; it will do it all. So will Studio Tax which is free, as will Simple Tax which is also free but must be done online with data on an online server which I abhor.
I'm curious, why do you abhor this? Simple Tax has all my tax data for the past 3 years I think. I read https://simpletax.ca/privacy - if what they are saying there is accurate, I think it's not too bad. Is the CRA's security better than that?

Thanks.
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Re: UFile 2017

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i don't want both the software AND the operational file created by that software to reside online. A PDF of the result that I can keep on my PC isn't good enough. I want to have some control and certainty that if I want to go back in and do a T1-ADJ, I can play with 'what ifs' without relying on a third party.

The issue is not really security of third parties. I use the cloud (Google Drive, One Drive, Dropbox) for all my data files and it is all synced between devices, in addition to an external HDD backup. It is that the 'operational' data file is not in my grubby little hands. Since there are alternatives such as Studio Tax where the app resides on my PC, why compromise?
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Re: UFile 2017

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AltaRed wrote: 29 Dec 2017 11:29 i don't want both the software AND the operational file created by that software to reside online. A PDF of the result that I can keep on my PC isn't good enough. I want to have some control and certainty that if I want to go back in and do a T1-ADJ, I can play with 'what ifs' without relying on a third party.

The issue is not really security of third parties. I use the cloud (Google Drive, One Drive, Dropbox) for all my data files and it is all synced between devices, in addition to an external HDD backup. It is that the 'operational' data file is not in my grubby little hands. Since there are alternatives such as Studio Tax where the app resides on my PC, why compromise?
Oh I hadn't thought of that. Yeah, they should really provide that...seems like it would be really easy to provide the .tax file which would be a huge improvement over PDF. I will ask the developers to make that available, maybe they'll do it.
I think for me I'll take the risk that they go out of business and don't provide anything like that beforehand, worst case I might get bogged down using my PDF backups in case I want to do an adjustment. The reason I'll take the risk is that I've used StudioTax in the past and I find Simpletax to be a bit more user friendly and just a nicer interface IMO. Anyway your point is well taken.
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Re: UFile 2017

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I asked Simpletax and they already got back to me. I asked him why they haven't implemented it because it would maybe allow other software (i.e. Studiotax) to port to simpletax and vice versa in case simpletax goes under.
Being able to install to a PC is a common comment from people who still use StudioTax and it's ancient UI. While you might be able to use the software to enter numbers in, the adjustment would still need to be done directly with the CRA. Security wise, our encryption is untouchable, and far more secure than any home computer.

There are no other files that will import and display submitted tax data in different software. The .tax files are no longer used by the CRA or the software providers, so that isn't an option. Even if they were in use, they are encrypted, and displayed line numbers only. The PDF would be a much more thorough and usable document. We haven't explored trying to create an import file from the other software out there, simply because the work doesn't match the benefit. We don't have a direct import option, but it is super easy to get started with SimpleTax. Most people find that it only takes a few minutes to re-enter the necessary data!
I think what he means by the first line in the second paragraph is that there's no standard. That's surprising, I thought some xml based format should work fine to store that data, and that the CRA would define it so that all tax software could import/export to it. If the CRA hasn't done that, then I guess what he is saying is fair but it does nothing to address your point AltaRed.
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Re: UFile 2017

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As to Simple Tax's response, I don't doubt they have a very secure system. That's never been my point. Nor was I suggesting that CRA could, or should, be able to read the proprietary file generated by SimpleTax. What gets submitted under Netfile is a data set format dictated by CRA. What I want to do is to use that proprietary file to generate my T1-ADJ data set for submission if I have to do that, or to do 'what if' analysis at my leisure.

Ufile, TurboTax, Studio Tax, Simple Tax all have their proprietary files developed by the software itself based on one's inputs. UFile is a yyyy.uxx file, e.g. AltaRed.u16 is for my 2016 T1 General. That .uxx file is only readable by UFile software. It is that .uxx file that I want to keep in my grubby little hands, not on a remote server.

I agree with SimpleTax that Studio Tax's UI is ancient (equivalent to DOS in my opinion) and a PITA. I use Studio Tax to do simple 'what ifs' analysis only. I never have used it to actually generate and Netfile a tax submission.
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Re: UFile 2017

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AltaRed wrote: 29 Dec 2017 14:30..................................... That .uxx file is only readable by UFile software. It is that .uxx file that I want to keep in my grubby little hands, not on a remote server. ..................
From what I see and was able to do in the past - modelling, using what-if scenarios with copies of the original file Ufile (created on my PC with purchased software), the .uxx file does reside on my PC. It is where I pick it up from, when the program launches; if I then do a ''what-if'' I save the new file under a new version name, so that the old and original one is never changed. Looking at a .uxx file and opening it with Notepad, there's data, although unreadable to me. Now, I don't know if it's all there, but I guess one could try yo open the file while off-line? It appears that as long as I have the creating software on my PC, I have all the data as well. Or am I missing something here? Because if AR is correct, I would also be a bit uneasy.
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Re: UFile 2017

Post by AltaRed »

Think we are getting off-tangent a bit. My main point is that the software and proprietary file residing on one's computer allows the maximum in flexibility, whether as a new file or what ifs on an existing file (Studio Tax, Turbo Tax or UFile). To my knowledge, that option is not available with online software like Simple Tax, or the online versions of Turbo Tax or UFile. If that is not a big deal for folks, or if they don't care about their base file being kept online, then online software versions are perfectly fine.
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