40+ questions to ask in a client tax questionnaire 

Collecting accurate information is critical in ensuring accurate tax filings for clients. Creating a comprehensive client tax questionnaire is a great way to streamline the process for both you and the client.

In this post, we’ll share a list of questions every tax preparer or tax professional should include in their tax questionnaire. To save you plenty more time, we’ll even share a link to our free tax questionnaire templates you can use to kickstart your tax preparation process right from the start! 

Just want the templates? Skip ahead here. 

Why build a client tax questionnaire?

Building out a client tax questionnaire not only helps tax professionals speed up the process of filing income tax returns; it also:

• Makes the process easier for the client 
• Helps determine potential compliance risks with tax laws and tax regulations 
• Serves as a tool for uncovering the client’s communication preferences
• Informs the client of different ways you can help them 
• Helps you identify upsell opportunities for your firm’s accounting services

Questions to ask when filing a client tax return 

Background and tax return filing status 

1. Full name

2. Date of birth

3. Social Security Number / Social Insurance Number 

4. Occupation

5. Phone number

6. Email address

7. Mailing address

8. Are you a new or returning client? 

9. Spouse information (if applicable) 

10. Dependent information, relationship to dependent, how long they were a dependent 

Tax filing preferences

11. Preferred method of contact  (phone/email)

12. Preferred time of day for contact (morning/afternoon/evening)

13. Would you like us to review and access your government account to help gather files for your taxes? (Yes/No)
14. Would you like to sign up to receive reminders and messages from us related to your taxes and our services? (Yes/No)
15. Would you like your tax refund directly deposited into your bank account? If so, please complete bank information below:

- Bank name

- Routing number

- Account number

- Account type

- Financial institution #

16. Select the level of service you require

- Student tax filing (you are an undergraduate student who is not self-employed)
- Just get them done - (if you have no questions or needs, best if you’re just looking for an accountant to get them taken care of for you)
- I have specific questions and want to learn more about my taxes (best for hands-on people)
- My taxes are less straight-forward / I need extra support (best if you have rental income or are self-employed) 

17. Please select any additional services you would like in addition to our standard tax filing service.

- 30-minute phone call

- Real-time Zoom tax filing appointment
- Assistance with understanding government agency tax documents (one time)
- Extensive support with understanding documents from taxing authorities (we will help with any government agency issues like investigations, form submissions, and responses as needed throughout the year)

- Additional consulting during the year (up to 3 hours of discussions)
- None for me, thank you. 

Tax return information  

18. Has your personal information changed in the last year? (Address, marital status, kids etc.)
19. If so, what has changed? 

10. How many tax years are we filing for?
(Select all that apply — 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, older)

21. Are we filing your spouse's taxes?

22. Did you open a FHSA this year? (First Home Savings Account)

23. Did you own foreign property at any time during the tax year where the total value of the property exceeded $100,000 CAD? (This includes foreign shares held in Canadian trading accounts)

24. Did you move 40km or more to be closer to your new work, business location or school during the tax year?

25. Did you sell your principal residence during the tax year?

26. Did you or your spouse (or partner) purchase a home during the tax year?

27. Did you and/or your spouse (or partner) pay property taxes and/or rent?

28. Please enter the amount of rent paid and the tax year (Let us know if this amount is monthly or annual)

29. Did you work from home during the tax year? 

Sources of income

30. What were your sources of income for the tax year?

- Wages

- Foreign income

- Gambling income

- Interest

- Dividends

- Stock/asset sales

- RRSP income

- Disability

- Government income

- Scholarships and bursaries

- Rental income 

- Spousal support

- Self-employment income

Deductible expenses

31. Please check the applicable deductions for the tax year (multiple options)

- I opened/contributed to a first-time home savings account in the tax year
- I worked from home in some or all of the tax year 

- I bought my first home in the tax year

- I had a staycation credit

- Medical expenses

- Charitable contributions 

- Property taxes/rent paid

- Student loan interest

- Educator expenses

- Retirement contributions 

- Tuition fees

- Childcare expenses

- Employment-related expenses

- Professional /union dues 

- Spousal support paid

- Investment carrying charges

- Legal fees related to employment

- Notice of assessment from the previous year

- Home buyer’s plan

- Life-long learner’s plan

- No deductions 

Childcare expenses

32. Did you pay any childcare expenses for any dependents listed above?

33. Upload any relative child care receipts 

34. Did you, your spouse, or any dependents attend college in the tax year?

35. Did the student attend college at least half-time?

Business information (if self-employed)

36. What is the operating name of your business?

37. What is the main product or service you provide?

38. Do you work out of your home?

39. What percentage of your home are you taking up for your business? 

Business expenses (general)

40. Enter the amount spent on each of the following during the tax year:

- Advertising

- Meals and entertainment 

- Insurance

- Interest

- Business tax, fees, licenses, dues, memberships, and subscriptions

- Office expenses

- Supplies

- Legal, accounting, and other professional fees

- Management and administration Fees

- Rent (storefront or office, not home rent)

- Maintenance and repairs

- Salaries, wages, and benefits

- Property taxes

- Travel (excluding automobile expenses) hotels, flights, taxis, Ubers

- Telephone and utilities

- Delivery, freight, and express

- Health insurance  

- Royalties

- Subcontractor wages
- Any other business expenses not listed above 

Business expenses (automobile)

41. Enter the amount spent on each of the following during the tax year:

- Business kilometers driven in the year

- Fuel and oil expenses 

- Repairs and maintenance expenses (including car washes)

- Parking expenses 

- Insurance expenses 

- License and registration fees

- If you own, interest for the year 

- If you lease, lease costs for the year 

- Car rental expenses 

Business expenses (home office) 

42. Complete this only if this is where you do the majority of your business. Enter the amount spent on each of the following during the tax year:

- Square footage dedicated for office

- Total square footage of home 

- Interest on your mortgage

- Heat

- Electricity

- Water

- Gas

- Insurance

- Maintenance

- Property taxes

- Condo fees

- Rent

- Other expenses

Document upload and client notes 

43. Upload any supporting documentation here (relevant photos/documents/scans or other relevant information). If you're not ready, you can upload files later as well.

44. Feel free to add anything you think we should know about here

Best questionnaire tool for tax professionals: Content Snare

If you’re a tax professional looking for a better way to collect financial information and prepare tax returns for your clients, then look no further! Content Snare is a questionnaire tool that was designed with the needs of accountants and tax preparers in mind. Here are a few reasons why you’ll find it helpful:

Questionnaire templates

Content Snare helps you save plenty of time in building out tax return forms from scratch. Simply choose the most relevant template for your needs and send it to clients as-is, or go in and delete, edit, or add questions to your liking. It comes with even more accounting and bookkeeping templates you can use for different needs. 

Automatic reminders 

Once you send your clients your tax questionnaire, Content Snare will stay on top of it and remind your clients to submit their financial information to you by the deadline you choose. This frees up your time to focus on more important tasks and spares you all the back-and-forth emails you’d usually have to send to get the tax information you need to get started on their return.

Approval system 

Way too often, clients can upload the wrong documents or submit tax information and calculations that need to be corrected. It allows you to approve, reject, or comment on every response to your questions. If the client submits the wrong information, you can flag it right in the platform itself, notifying the client to re-submit their information. This helps you identify and correct errors early on in the tax preparation process before they become problematic later on. 

Integrations

Content Snare is a tool that you can use seamlessly along with other software you might rely on. It integrates with other platforms like Xero Practice Manager and FYI Docs among other popular tools to help you optimize your tax preparation workflows. 

Security and tax compliance 

Since your clients will be uploading plenty of sensitive information for tax purposes, Content Snare offers a full range of security and compliance features to protect client data and ensure compliance with tax laws.