Your first 90 days with EverStone
Reviewed by EverStone CPA · July 2026
No mystery about what happens after you say yes. Here’s exactly how we get you set up, current, and ahead — so you know what to expect before you book.
Quick answer: The first 90 days with a new CPA follow a set sequence: a free consult and fixed written quote, CRA authorization and record handover, a bookkeeping catch-up to a clean opening balance, then the first filing deadline handled on time. EverStone runs this onboarding remotely for every new corporation.
From first call to fully in-hand
Days 1–3 · Free consult & fixed quote
We learn your business on a 30-minute call, then send a clear, fixed fee in writing — no obligation, no hourly surprises.
Week 1 · Authorization & records
You sign a CRA authorization; we request your files from any prior accountant and set up secure access to your books. See how switching works.
Weeks 2–4 · Set up & catch up
We connect your accounts, clean up any backlog, reconcile everything, and confirm your key CRA dates for the year.
Days 30–90 · First reports & a plan
Your first clean monthly report lands, we walk it through in plain English, and we map the year ahead — how you pay yourself, what to time, what to plan for.
A short, friendly list
Nothing you don’t already have: your incorporation documents, last year’s return and Notice of Assessment, access to your bookkeeping (or bank statements), and your GST/PST and payroll account numbers if they apply. Missing something? We’ll get it from your old firm or the CRA — it’s not on you to chase.
You’re not on your own after day 90
Once you’re set up, your client hub is where you send files and check dates, and mid-year questions are always part of the service — never a surprise invoice.
Why the first 90 days set the tone
The opening three months do more than move your file across — they decide how the rest of the relationship feels. Three things happen in that window that pay off for years:
- We catch what the last setup missed. Reviewing your prior-year return and books almost always surfaces something — a misclassified asset, an unclaimed credit, a GST reconciliation that never balanced. Finding it early means it’s fixed before it compounds.
- We establish a rhythm. Books reconciled on a schedule, deadlines on a calendar, and a single point of contact who already knows your file — so nothing depends on a last-minute scramble in the spring.
- We have the first real planning conversation. By day 90 you get more than a report: a plain-English view of how you’re paying yourself, what’s worth timing before year-end, and where the next dollar of tax can be saved. That’s the difference between an accountant who records the past and one who helps you plan the year.
None of it requires heavy lifting on your side. The point of a structured first 90 days is that we carry the load of getting current while you keep running your business — and you come out the other side with clean books, a clear plan, and a fixed fee you already agreed to. If you’re moving from another firm, the moving your file to us page shows how the handover itself works.
Getting started, answered
How soon can you start?+
What if I am behind on bookkeeping or past filings?+
Do I have to chase my old accountant for files?+
Will I be handed off to junior staff?+
What do you need from me to get started?+
What does the first year-end with a new accountant look like?+
How do I get documents to you securely?+
Not ready to move yet? A free second opinion on last year’s corporate return is a smaller first step and comes with a written summary you keep either way.
See the first 90 days for yourself
Book a free consult — step one starts the moment you reach out.
These first 90 days look the same wherever you are. We onboard owners remotely across Canada — including in Vancouver business owners, CPA for Toronto owners, Ottawa, accountant in Calgary, Edmonton small business accountant and working with us from Winnipeg.
We also work alongside other professionals — see who we partner with.