Contractor accountant in Surrey

Outside Surrey, the same work is set out on our main contractor accountant page.

Why Surrey contractors need construction-specific accounting

From South Surrey residential to industrial build-out, Surrey contractors run bigger jobs, more subcontractors and tighter margins. Income arrives in large, irregular draws, complicating instalments and cash planning; subcontractors trigger reporting; and the CRA watches construction closely, so books must be defensible. What should separate contractor accountants Surrey trades hire from generalists is books built around irregular draws, subcontractor reporting and that CRA attention.

T5018s and subcontractor classification

Paying subcontractors for construction services generally means filing T5018 information returns. The subcontractor-versus-employee call matters as much: the CRA weighs control, tools, ability to subcontract and chance of profit or loss, and a wrong call can leave you owing unwithheld CPP and EI. See our guide on subcontractor or employee.

Holdbacks, GST and job costing

Construction has its own timing. Holdbacks affect when revenue and costs are recognized. GST runs through draws and materials and must be reconciled. Job costing shows whether a project made money; done loosely, it hides losses until year-end. For equipment, the right capital cost allowance treatment keeps deductions accurate.

Cash flow and instalments for Surrey builders

The hard part is the cash, not the return. A strong Surrey season can bring a big tax bill and instalments just as next season’s costs climb. We plan instalments around your actual draws, flag a big year’s tax before it lands, and keep GST current so nothing gathers interest. No spring surprises, and you bid and buy equipment knowing your after-tax position.

The Surrey trades we work with

Each Surrey trade has its own pattern:

• general contractors with subtrades and holdbacks
• framers, electricians, plumbers and HVAC shops with crews and equipment
• excavation and site services with heavy machinery
• drywall, painting and finishing trades using subcontractors
• seasonal landscaping and hardscaping
• spec builders whose projects span fiscal years

They share lumpy income, real equipment, T5018 subcontractor payments and GST on every draw; the mix differs, and a construction-specific accountant accounts for that. If your setup may not fit how your trade earns and spends, talk before your next year-end.

What EverStone handles for you

One CPA, one fixed fee quoted up front, everything below covered:

• T2 corporate tax return and year-end financial statements
• T5018 subcontractor information returns
• GST filed and reconciled through your draws and purchases
• Bookkeeping built for job costs, holdbacks and equipment
• Salary-versus-dividend planning each year
• CRA correspondence and reviews handled for you

Fixed fees, fully online

EverStone is a CPA firm working fully online by video, e-signature and secure exchange. No hourly or per-call billing: the fee is fixed before work starts, so a June question starts no meter. One CPA prepares your return and answers your emails all year. See what it costs or send an enquiry for a written quote.

If Surrey and CFO support in Surrey is the more pressing job, start there instead. If you need a personal tax accountant Surrey contractors can use for their own T1 alongside the corporate file, the personal tax page linked above covers it.

Bonded? The year end matters more: see financial statements for Surrey construction companies on how work in progress and over-billings shape surety working capital.

What a Surrey contractor’s year looks like with us

• Every month: books reconciled, holdbacks receivable and payable tracked by job, GST on progress billings recorded when it becomes payable.
• Before each hire or sub: the employee-or-subcontractor question answered in writing, so the T4 or T5018 is decided before the first cheque.
• Year end: compiled statements that show work in progress and holdbacks the way a bonding company reads them, the T2 from the same numbers, and T5018 slips filed on time.
• Any time: a call before a bid, a purchase or a WorkSafeBC letter — covered by the fixed fee, not billed by the hour.