Tax
Tax filing priced separately from bookkeeping. The part we do ourselves is GST/HST filing derived directly from the books we keep, and simple personal returns: slips and the standard credits. Corporate, trust and partnership returns and assurance work are done by our associated CPA, and US federal and state returns are prepared and filed by our associated US CPA, a licensed CPA in the client's state, never by us. We keep the books, hand over a file that reconciles, and stay the people you deal with.
What's included
- Simple personal returns: slips and the standard credits, with anything more complex referred to our associated CPA
- Corporate, trust and partnership returns and assurance work done by our associated CPA
- US federal and state returns, prepared and filed by our associated US CPA in your state
- Scoped and quoted against your actual complexity, not a flat guess
- Priced separately from bookkeeping, so you're not paying for it twice
Who it's for
- Incorporated businesses whose corporate return is filed by our associated CPA
- Partnerships whose return our associated CPA prepares off books that reconcile
- Owners who want a simple personal return and the corporate return coordinated in one place
- Businesses that would rather reach filing season with tax-ready books than discover it in April
How it runs
The actual sequence, start to finish.
- 01
Confirm who files
Some of this work needs a licence and some does not. We say at the start which part is ours and which part sits with the associated CPA, rather than partway through.
- 02
Review complexity
Filing is quoted after looking at your structure and books, so the number reflects the actual work.
- 03
Prepare and file
Filing is prepared off reconciled books wherever we're also handling the bookkeeping. Where the return is the associated CPA's to file, they get a file that reconciles rather than a box of questions.
What it costs
Quoted individually after a books review, and priced separately from your monthly bookkeeping.
Questions about tax
Do you handle US tax filing?
Yes, with the return itself prepared and filed by our associated US CPA, a licensed CPA in your state, never by us. We keep the books and hand over a tax-ready file, that CPA prepares and files the return, and you deal with us throughout.
Who actually files a corporate, trust or partnership return?
Our associated CPA. Corporate, trust and partnership returns and assurance work are done by our associated CPA, because those need a licence and we are not a CPA firm. What does not change is who keeps your books and who you call, which is us.
Do I have to be a bookkeeping client?
It isn't required, but filing off books we already maintain is faster and cheaper than filing off books we're seeing for the first time.
Why isn't tax bundled into the monthly fee?
Filing complexity varies enormously between businesses. Pricing it separately means clients with simple filings aren't subsidizing complex ones.
More questions answered on the FAQ page.
What your year end file should look like before it leaves your hands
The gap between a straightforward year end and an expensive one comes down to about six things, and all of them are decided in the months before anyone opens the file.
GST/HST: filing deadlines, input tax credits, and the four errors we see most
Most GST/HST trouble is not evasion. It is claiming credits on the wrong things, missing a deadline nobody diarised, or filing on numbers the books do not support.
Ready to talk about tax?
A free 20-minute consultation, no obligation.