--- title: "Accountant for Truck Drivers & Owner-Operators | Trucking Tax" url: https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-for-truckers description: "Accountant for truck drivers, owner-operators and fleets: meal claims, zero-rated freight, T2, GST and bookkeeping at a fixed fee. Get a fixed quote." type: service-or-info updated: 2026-10-08 summary: "An accountant who works with owner-operators and trucking corporations handles tax rules general bookkeeping often misses: per-diem meal claims, fuel tax reporting across provinces and states, log-based travel records, and the choice between leasing and owning a tractor. EverStone prepares trucking bookkeeping, GST returns and the T2 corporate return online for a fixed quoted fee." 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 owner-operators & carriers [Home](https://www.everstonecpa.com/) [Services](https://www.everstonecpa.com/services) For Truckers # Accounting for *Truckers & Owner-Operators* Updated 8 October 2026 Fuel, meals, maintenance, financing, GST across provinces — trucking has more moving parts than most businesses. We keep your books tight and your tax bill honest. Related: [Accounting for auto repair shops and mechanics](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-for-auto-repair-shops-bc). [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online)[Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **Quick answer:** An accountant who works with owner-operators and trucking corporations handles tax rules general bookkeeping often misses: per-diem meal claims, fuel tax reporting across provinces and states, log-based travel records, and the choice between leasing and owning a tractor. EverStone prepares trucking bookkeeping, GST returns and the [T2 corporate return](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/corporations/corporation-income-tax-return.html) online for a fixed quoted fee. ## Truck drivers come in three tax shapes, and the return is different for each A company driver on a T4 files a personal return and, if the employer certifies the conditions, claims meals and lodging as an employment expense. An owner-operator who has not incorporated reports the business on the personal return, with the truck, the fuel and the meals against it. An incorporated owner-operator files a T2 for the corporation and a T1 for themselves, and the question of how to take the money out — salary, dividends, or a mix — is decided every year. Most of the questions we get from truck drivers are really questions about which of the three they are, or should be. Owner-operators are usually paid by settlement statement, with fuel advances, insurance, plate costs, escrow and chargebacks all netted against gross revenue. The books have to be built from the gross, not the net, or the GST and the expense claims are both wrong. [Why trucking accounting is its own discipline](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trucking-logistics-accounting) sets out the rest of what is different. ## Tax preparation for truck drivers: what the return actually needs The trip log. Every meal claim, every away-from-home night and every cross-border day rests on it, and it is the first thing a CRA review asks for. Long-haul drivers can claim meals under the simplified method: a flat per-meal amount to a daily maximum, deductible at 80% during an eligible travel period rather than the usual 50%. The rate is set by CRA for each tax year. [The long-haul meal claim, with the current figures](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/trucking-per-diem-meal-claims-canada) carries the rate and the eligibility rules. After the log: fuel receipts by jurisdiction, repairs and tires, insurance, plates and permits, the financing statement on the tractor, cell phone and satellite, and the settlement statements themselves. A year that arrives as a shoebox is preparable; a year that arrives without the log is not, at least not at the amounts the driver is entitled to. ## Cross-border hauls change the GST picture entirely Freight transportation that crosses the border is generally zero-rated for GST/HST: no tax charged on the revenue, but the input tax credits on fuel, repairs and equipment are still recoverable. A cross-border operation therefore tends to file in a refund position, while a purely domestic one remits. That difference decides how often it is worth filing and how much cash is sitting with CRA between returns. [GST/HST filing](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-filing-services) covers the return itself, and [the filing deadlines page](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-filing-deadlines) covers when each reporting period is due. ## Leased to one carrier: the classification question An incorporated owner-operator leased exclusively to a single carrier, driving that carrier’s dispatched loads under its authority, is the fact pattern CRA looks at when it considers whether a corporation is a personal services business. The consequence of that finding is a corporation that loses the small business deduction and most of its deductions. That is why the lease agreement, the ownership of the tractor and who bears the risk of a bad month all matter more than they appear to. [Personal services business risk](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/personal-services-business-psb-risk-canada) explains the test, and it is a conversation to have before incorporating rather than after. ## Trucking companies with drivers: employee or subcontractor Once there is a second driver, the company is either running payroll or paying a contractor, and CRA decides which by looking at the whole relationship. Who controls the work? Who owns the truck? Does the driver have a genuine chance of profit or risk of loss? How integrated are they into the operation? Get it wrong and the payer faces retroactive CPP and EI assessments plus penalties. [Employee or contractor, as CRA decides it](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/employee-vs-contractor-cra-worker-classification) sets out the factors, and [payroll](https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-services-canada) covers the running of it once the answer is employee. We work with truck drivers and trucking companies, online, wherever the trucks are based — [trucking accountant in Abbotsford](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trucking-accountant-abbotsford) and the Fraser Valley among them. The fee is fixed and agreed in writing after we review your enquiry; [published fees](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing) show where it starts. Meals, the truck, the fuel credits, the provinces, and the structure. From a single owner-operator to a small fleet, EverStone helps trucking businesses across BC stay compliant and profitable. We know the deductions that matter — the meal per-diem, fuel, repairs, insurance and financing, and we keep your GST/HST straight across provinces, all remotely at a fixed monthly fee. For the wider picture — meal claims, cross-border sales tax, equipment financing and classification risk in one place. See the [trucking and logistics accounting hub](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trucking-logistics-accounting). ## What we handle for you - Incorporation and whether it saves you tax as an owner-operator - [T2 corporate return](https://www.everstonecpa.com/corporate-tax-return-t2)s and financial statements - GST/HST registration and multi-province filing - Maximizing the meal/per-diem, fuel, maintenance and financing deductions - [Monthly bookkeeping](https://www.everstonecpa.com/monthly-bookkeeping-services) that keeps up with the road - [Salary vs. dividend](https://www.everstonecpa.com/salary-vs-dividends-calculator) planning and personal T1 returns Owner-operator tax, in plain English ## The deductions and filings that make or break a trucking year Trucking has more moving parts than almost any small business, and the CRA has specific rules for most of them. Get these five right and your tax bill reflects what you actually cleared after the road took its cut. ### Meals & per-diem: the biggest missed claim You do not need a shoebox of receipts. With a proper trip log (Form TL2 signed by your carrier) we claim your meals the simplest defensible way and capture the higher long-haul rate you are entitled to. Long-haul drivers can use the simplified method, a flat rate per meal, up to 3 meals a day, and eligible long-haul meals are 80% deductible instead of the usual 50%. The guide to [truck driver meal claims](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/trucking-per-diem-meal-claims-canada) sets out the rate, the distance test and the log. ### The truck itself is a capital asset You do not write off the whole truck in year one. It is depreciated through [Capital Cost Allowance](https://www.everstonecpa.com/glossary), and the financing interest, licensing, and insurance are deducted separately. Buy vs. lease changes the math. We structure it so you get the deduction without overstating it. ### Fuel, maintenance & the ITC refund most drivers miss Fuel, repairs, tires, ELD subscriptions, and cell/data are deductible, and because fuel carries GST/HST, owner-operators are often in a net GST refund position. We make sure every [input tax credit](https://www.everstonecpa.com/glossary) is claimed, not left with the CRA. ### GST/HST across provinces When you haul between provinces, the [place-of-supply](https://www.everstonecpa.com/glossary#place-of-supply) rules decide which rate applies. Register once past $30k, and we handle multi-province filing so a load into Ontario or back through Alberta never creates a compliance mess. ### Incorporation for owner-operators If a carrier is pushing you to incorporate, or your net is climbing, we tell you whether it saves tax or just adds cost, and set it up properly if it does. Some carriers require you to be incorporated to be put on as an owner-operator, and above a certain income it also defers tax at ~11%. How it works ## Working with EverStone, start to finish - 1 **Email enquiry** We learn your routes, whether you are leased to a carrier, and how you are set up today — then quote a fixed fee up front. - 2 **We get your books rolling** Incorporation if it helps, GST/HST registration, and simple bookkeeping that keeps up with fuel, maintenance and settlements. - 3 **We file everything** T2 corporate return and statements, GST/HST with every input tax credit, your TL2 meal claim, and your personal T1. - 4 **Year-round support** From the cab, by email or phone — instalments, new-truck decisions, and questions answered without waiting for tax season. Questions ## Accounting Built for Owner-Operators — FAQ **Can I claim meals if I did not keep every receipt?** Yes. Long-haul drivers can use the CRA simplified method, a flat rate per meal, up to three meals a day — supported by a trip log and a signed Form TL2 from your carrier, not a pile of receipts. Eligible long-haul meals are 80% deductible rather than the usual 50%. We set the logging up so the claim holds up if the CRA ever asks. [Ask about your case →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **I am leased to one carrier — should I incorporate?** Incorporating as a leased operator depends on two things: whether the carrier requires it to put you on as an owner-operator, and whether your net income is high enough that deferring tax at the ~11% small-business rate outweighs the cost of a corporate return. We run your numbers when you send an enquiry and give you a straight answer — then handle the set-up if it makes sense. **Should an owner-operator incorporate?** Often yes, once you are netting more than you need to live on. Incorporating lets you defer tax at the low small-business rate and plan how you pay yourself. But it adds admin, so it is not right for everyone. We will tell you straight once we review your enquiry. **What can truckers deduct?** Fuel, repairs and maintenance, insurance, licensing, financing or lease costs, cell phone, and the meal per-diem for nights away from home. We make sure every legitimate expense is captured and documented for CRA. **How does GST/HST work when I drive across provinces?** Inter-provincial GST/HST depends on where your services are performed and your customers are located. We handle registration and filing so your inter-provincial GST/HST is done right, with no guessing. **Can you do this if I am always on the road?** Drivers who are always on the road are exactly who we are built for. Everything is 100% remote: send documents from your phone, meet by phone or video, and we handle the rest. ## Tax preparation for truck drivers An owner-operator who is not incorporated reports trucking income on form T2125 with the personal return, claiming fuel, repairs, insurance, the truck itself through capital cost allowance and meal costs under the long-haul rules. An incorporated owner-operator files a T2 for the company and a personal return for the pay drawn from it. We prepare both. [How meal claims work for drivers](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/trucking-per-diem-meal-claims-canada). ## Related services & tools Keep reading, or run your own numbers before we talk. [Corporate tax (T2)](https://www.everstonecpa.com/tax-services)[Bookkeeping & payroll](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accounting-services)[Incorporation tax savings calculator](https://www.everstonecpa.com/incorporation-calculator)[See fixed pricing](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing) **Fixed fees**Clear, fixed pricing. 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 ## What owners say about working with us 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 ★★★★★ “Personal. Professional. Responsive. Plus he saved me a bundle!” Corrin Skalbeck Verified Google Review [Read our Google reviews](https://www.everstonecpa.com/reviews) From the blog ## Guides for your situation [Guide Vehicle & mileage deductions →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/vehicle-mileage-deductions-canada-business) ## Trucking accountants by city Each city page covers the provincial rules that apply to the work there. - **British Columbia:** [Abbotsford](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trucking-accountant-abbotsford) - **Alberta:** [Calgary](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trucking-accountant-calgary), [Edmonton](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trucking-accountant-edmonton) - **Manitoba:** [Winnipeg](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trucking-accountant-winnipeg) - **Ontario:** [Kitchener-Waterloo](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trucking-accountant-kitchener-waterloo), [Hamilton](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trucking-accountant-hamilton), [London](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trucking-accountant-london-ontario), [Windsor](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trucking-accountant-windsor), [Oshawa](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trucking-accountant-oshawa), [Barrie](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trucking-accountant-barrie) ## Trucking in Alberta Carriers along the QE II corridor can start with the [Airdrie trucking page](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trucking-accountant-airdrie), or the [Calgary](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trucking-accountant-calgary) and [Edmonton](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trucking-accountant-edmonton) ones. ### 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) Specialized accounting [Trucking accountant in Abbotsford](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trucking-accountant-abbotsford) ## 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 ★★★★★ “…We switched to him last year for both our personal and small-business taxes — responsive, knowledgeable and quick.” Heather Powers · Google review --- Source: https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-for-truckers Prices: https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing · Contact: info@everstonecpa.com · https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online