--- title: "Accountant for Realtors & Real Estate | EverStone CPA" url: https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-for-realtors description: "Accountant for realtors in BC: PREC setup, commission income, GST, vehicle and marketing costs and tax planning, fully online at fixed fees. Get a quote." type: service-or-info updated: 2026-10-08 summary: "An accountant for realtors starts from one fact: commission income is self-employment income, so it arrives with no tax withheld and the agent must set money aside for income tax, CPP and GST. Incorporating as a personal real estate corporation is permitted in BC. EverStone handles realtor bookkeeping, GST filing and year-end returns online." faq_count: 6 publisher: EverStone CPA Inc., a Chartered Professional Accountant firm registered with CPA British Columbia and CPA Alberta service_area: British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba language: en-CA contact: info@everstonecpa.com · https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online --- For real estate professionals [Home](https://www.everstonecpa.com/) [Services](https://www.everstonecpa.com/services) For Realtors # The Accountant *Realtors* Actually Understand Updated 8 October 2026 Commission income, a PREC, big swings between good years and slow ones — real estate taxes are their own world. We handle it end to end, online, at a fixed fee. [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online)[Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **Quick answer:** An accountant for realtors starts from one fact: commission income is self-employment income, so it arrives with no tax withheld and the agent must set money aside for income tax, CPP and GST. Incorporating as a personal real estate corporation is permitted in BC. EverStone handles realtor bookkeeping, GST filing and year-end returns online. Mortgage and insurance brokers have their own page: [accountant for mortgage and insurance brokers](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-for-mortgage-insurance-brokers-bc). Incorporated through a personal real estate corporation? See our [PREC accountant](https://www.everstonecpa.com/prec-accountant-bc) page. A commission arrives gross — four obligations come out of it first. Whether you’re a newly-licensed agent or a top producer weighing a Personal Real Estate Corporation (PREC), EverStone helps you keep more of every commission. We work with realtors across BC remotely — corporate and personal tax, bookkeeping, and the salary-vs-dividend planning that actually moves the needle on commission income. For the wider picture — commission timing, PREC share rules, instalments and the deduction list. See the [hub for realtors, PRECs and brokers](https://www.everstonecpa.com/real-estate-professionals-accounting). ## What we handle for you - PREC setup & whether incorporating is worth it for your income level - [T2 corporate return](https://www.everstonecpa.com/corporate-tax-return-t2)s and year-end financial statements - GST/HST registration and filing on your commissions - Tracking and maximizing agent expenses (vehicle, marketing, desk fees, phone) - Salary vs. dividend planning to smooth out uneven commission years - Personal T1 returns coordinated with your corporation Real estate tax, in plain English ## The tax issues that trip up real estate agents Commission income behaves nothing like a paycheque, and the CRA treats it differently. Here are the five things that decide how much of your commission you actually keep, and where most agents leave money on the table. ### No tax is withheld from your commissions Your brokerage pays you gross, so nothing is set aside for the CRA. Once you owe more than $3,000 in a year, the CRA puts you on quarterly instalments, and penalizes you for missing them. We forecast your tax and set the money aside so a big year never becomes a bigger surprise. ### A PREC only pays off past a certain income A Personal Real Estate Corporation lets you defer tax at the ~11% small-business rate on income you leave in the company. But it adds a [T2 return](https://www.everstonecpa.com/glossary) and filing costs, so below a certain income it is not worth it. We run the actual math for your numbers, not a generic answer. Rule of thumb: a PREC starts to make sense once you consistently earn more than you spend personally — often around $130k+ in commissions. ### GST/HST applies to your commissions Real estate commissions are taxable supplies. Once you cross $30,000 in a rolling 12 months you must register, charge, and [remit GST/HST](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-filing-services), but you also get to claim [input tax credits](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/rc4022.html) on your business expenses. We handle registration and filing so it is never a scramble. If you have incorporated, or are about to, the first year has a handful of [decisions](https://www.everstonecpa.com/decisions) that are cheaper to make deliberately. See [a PREC accountant in BC](https://www.everstonecpa.com/prec-accountant-bc). ### Feast-or-famine years need smoothing A record year followed by a slow one can push you into the top bracket and then waste your low brackets. Inside a corporation you can pay yourself a steadier salary or dividends and keep the rest deferred, evening out the tax hit across good and lean years. ### Write-offs the CRA actually allows The difference between a defensible return and an audit flag is documentation. We set up simple tracking so every legitimate dollar is captured and nothing risky slips in. Claimable: vehicle & mileage log, marketing, signage, staging, brokerage/desk fees, phone, home office, professional dues. Not claimable: everyday clothing, personal grooming, unlogged “business” meals. How it works ## Working with EverStone, start to finish - 1 **Email enquiry** We learn your production, whether you have a PREC, and what your last return looked like — then give you a fixed quote before any work starts. - 2 **We get you set up** Incorporation or PREC set-up if it makes sense, GST/HST registration, and clean bookkeeping connected to your accounts. - 3 **We file everything** T2 corporate return, year-end statements, GST/HST, and your personal T1 — coordinated so nothing is double-taxed or missed. - 4 **Year-round check-ins** A big deal closing? A slow quarter? We adjust your instalments and pay mix in real time, not once a year at tax time. Questions ## The Accountant Realtors Actually Understand — FAQ **When does a PREC actually start saving me money?** Roughly once your commissions comfortably exceed what you need to live on — often around $130,000+, because you can leave the surplus in the company and defer tax at the low small-business rate. Below that, the extra filing cost usually outweighs the benefit. Send an enquiry and we run your real numbers and tell you honestly whether you are there yet. [Ask about your case →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **I just had my best year ever — how do I avoid a tax-time shock?** The fix is proactive, not reactive: we forecast the tax on your commissions mid-year, set the right amount aside, get you on (or ahead of) CRA instalments, and use RRSP room and, if you are incorporated, your salary/dividend mix to soften the hit. Come to us before December, not in April. **Should I set up a PREC (Personal Real Estate Corporation)?** It depends on how much you earn and spend personally. Once your commissions comfortably exceed what you need to live on, a PREC lets you defer tax at the low small-business corporate rate and plan your pay. We will run your numbers once we review your enquiry and tell you honestly whether it is worth it yet. **Do realtors charge GST/HST on commissions?** Generally yes. Real estate commissions are taxable, so once you pass the $30,000 small-supplier threshold you must register for and charge GST/HST. We handle registration and filing so it is never a surprise. **What expenses can a real estate agent write off?** Vehicle and mileage, marketing and signage, brokerage and desk fees, phone and internet, professional dues, home-office costs and more, if reasonable and tied to earning commissions. We make sure you capture everything you are entitled to. **Do you work with realtors outside BC?** Yes. We work with agents across BC 100% online. Your T2, GST/HST and personal return are all handled remotely, by phone or video. ## Related services & tools Keep reading, or run your own numbers before we talk. [Corporate tax (T2)](https://www.everstonecpa.com/tax-services)[Incorporation tax savings calculator](https://www.everstonecpa.com/incorporation-calculator)[Salary vs. dividends](https://www.everstonecpa.com/salary-vs-dividends-calculator)[See fixed pricing](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing) **Fixed fees**Clear, fixed [pricing](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing-and-margin-analysis). You approve the fee before any work begins. No surprise bills. **One day**We reply to every enquiry within one business day, usually the same day. **CPA-led**Every file is handled personally by a CPA, never passed to junior staff. **No obligation**Sending an enquiry is free, with zero pressure and no obligation. What clients say ## Why clients stay with EverStone Rated 5.0 on Google across 21 client reviews. ★★★★★ “…He is very knowledgeable and has saved me tons in taxes by restructuring my group of companies — the best accountant I’ve worked with in the last 10 years, after switching from three different firms.” Matt Hildebrandt Verified Google Review ★★★★★ “…have been completing my bookkeeping, taxes and financials for the last 2 years and they have been amazing. Thank you!” R. H. Verified Google Review ★★★★★ “…We switched to him last year for both our personal and small-business taxes — responsive, knowledgeable and quick.” Heather Powers Verified Google Review [Read our Google reviews](https://www.everstonecpa.com/reviews) ## Realtor accountants by city Each city page covers the provincial rules that apply to the work there. - **British Columbia:** [Surrey](https://www.everstonecpa.com/realtor-accountant-surrey), [Vancouver](https://www.everstonecpa.com/realtor-accountant-vancouver), [Victoria](https://www.everstonecpa.com/realtor-accountant-victoria), [Kelowna](https://www.everstonecpa.com/realtor-accountant-kelowna) - **Ontario:** [Toronto](https://www.everstonecpa.com/realtor-accountant-toronto), [Ottawa](https://www.everstonecpa.com/realtor-accountant-ottawa), [Hamilton](https://www.everstonecpa.com/realtor-accountant-hamilton), [Oshawa](https://www.everstonecpa.com/realtor-accountant-oshawa) ### Starting fees Every fee is fixed in writing before any work begins. - **Monthly bookkeeping, GST/PST filing included** from $325 a month - **Payroll, remittances, T4s and ROEs** included in monthly bookkeeping - **Books, payroll and the year-end T2 together** $500–$700 a month - **Corporate year-end and T2 return** fixed fee, quoted in writing - **Personal tax return (T1)** from $125; self-employed or rental $275–$500 - **Catch-up bookkeeping** from $2,200 per year of records - **Controller or CFO support** controller from $1,650, CFO from $2,750 a month - **One-off advice call with a CPA** $225 plus GST [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online?service=monthly#enquiry-form) ## Ready for a CPA who makes it simple? Send an enquiry — answered by email, anywhere in BC, Alberta, Ontario or Manitoba. You’ll get a clear, fixed quote by email. [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online)[Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **Related:** [For real estate investors](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-for-real-estate-investors) Specialized accounting [Realtor accountant in Surrey](https://www.everstonecpa.com/realtor-accountant-surrey) Selling in Metro Vancouver? See [realtors and PRECs in Vancouver](https://www.everstonecpa.com/realtor-accountant-vancouver). We work with [Surrey realtors and commission earners](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-surrey) — same fixed-fee approach, entirely remote. ## Talk to a CPA about this One Chartered Professional Accountant, start to finish. Fixed fees, quoted in writing before any work begins, and no obligation from a first conversation. [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online) [Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) Email info@everstonecpa.com ★★★★★ “Personal. Professional. Responsive. Plus he saved me a bundle!” Corrin Skalbeck · Google Local Guide --- Source: https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-for-realtors Prices: https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing · Contact: info@everstonecpa.com · https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online