A second look at the return someone else filed

Because every dollar matters, and prior-year returns can still be adjusted for up to ten years.

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How far back: About 10 years
Review turnaround: A few business days
Reassessment time: Several weeks

Overview

Second Look Review, done properly

A tax return that was filed is not the same as a tax return that was optimised. Credits get missed, tuition goes unclaimed, benefit applications never get made - and none of it shows up as an error, so nobody notices.

The CRA lets you adjust prior returns going back roughly ten years. If money was left behind, it is usually still recoverable.

Client result

A student recovered about $2,700

A client came to us convinced her refunds looked too small. Reviewing her prior years, we found tuition credits that had never been claimed and GST/HST credit payments she had never received. The adjustments returned roughly $2,700 to her.

Who this is for

6 common cases

If one of these sounds like you, this service is a good fit.

Anyone whose refund came in lower than expected
People who filed themselves and were not sure about a credit
Clients of storefront or seasonal preparers
Students who never claimed or carried forward tuition
Self-employed people who under-claimed expenses
New parents who never applied for the Canada Child Benefit

What's included

What you actually get

Nothing appears on the invoice later that was not described here.

Full review of prior years
We read the returns as filed against the credits you were actually entitled to.
Written findings
A plain-language report of what was missed and what it is worth, before you commit to anything.
T1 adjustment filing
We prepare and submit the adjustment requests to the CRA.
Benefit applications
Retroactive CCB and credit applications where they were never made in the first place.
Transparent pricing
The review is priced up front. You know the fee before we start, and whether it is worth doing at all.

The process

How this works

4 steps, from first message to filed.

Step 01
Authorise us with the CRA
A representative authorisation lets us see your filed returns, notices of assessment and carry-forward balances.
Step 02
We examine each year
Line by line, against the credits and deductions available in that year.
Step 03
You get the findings
What was missed, what it is worth, and what it costs to recover. If there is nothing there, we tell you that too.
Step 04
We file the adjustments
Submitted to the CRA and tracked through to reassessment.

Step 01
Authorise us with the CRA
A representative authorisation lets us see your filed returns, notices of assessment and carry-forward balances.
Step 02
We examine each year
Line by line, against the credits and deductions available in that year.
Step 03
You get the findings
What was missed, what it is worth, and what it costs to recover. If there is nothing there, we tell you that too.
Step 04
We file the adjustments
Submitted to the CRA and tracked through to reassessment.

Questions

Second Look Review questions

Straight answers to what people ask us most.

How far back can a return be amended?

The CRA generally accepts adjustment requests for the previous ten calendar years. In practice that means most missed credits are still recoverable.

What does a second look cost?

Amending tuition or benefit amounts is $59. Amending a full prior-year return runs $79-$149 depending on complexity. We tell you the fee and what we expect to recover before you commit.

What if you don't find anything?

Then we tell you, and you have the reassurance that the returns were done properly. We would rather say that than manufacture an adjustment.

Do I need my old returns?

Helpful but not required. Once you authorise us as your representative with the CRA, we can see what was filed and assessed directly.

Get started

Ready to sort out your second look review?

Tell us your situation and we will come back with the exact scope, what we need from you, and the fee, before any work starts.

Key numbers

How far back: About 10 years; The CRA generally accepts adjustment requests within this window
Review turnaround: A few business days; Once CRA authorisation is in place
Reassessment time: Several weeks; CRA processing for an adjustment, longer at peak