--- title: "Corporate Tax Accountant Markham | T2 Filing | EverStone CPA" url: https://www.everstonecpa.com/corporate-tax-accountant-markham description: "Corporate tax accountant for Markham companies: T2 with Ontario schedules, instalments, the small business deduction and the registry return. Get a quote." updated: 2026-10-16 publisher: EverStone CPA Inc. (Chartered Professional Accountant firm, Abbotsford, BC) service_area: British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba --- [Home](https://www.everstonecpa.com/) [Corporate tax](https://www.everstonecpa.com/tax-services) Markham Corporate tax · Markham # Corporate tax accountant for *Markham* corporations A Markham company reports its Ontario corporate tax inside the same T2 it files federally, then files a separate annual return with the Ontario Business Registry on its own deadline. EverStone prepares both remotely, at a fixed fee. See the [Ontario tax reference](https://www.everstonecpa.com/ontario-tax-facts) or the [Markham practice page](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-markham). [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online)[Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **Quick answer:** A Markham corporation reports Ontario tax inside the same T2 it files federally, at combined rates of 11.2% and 26.5% (the small-business rate fell from 12.2% on 1 July 2026). It then files a separate annual return with the Ontario Business Registry. EverStone prepares the corporate return remotely at a fixed fee. For a one-owner Markham company, bundled with monthly bookkeeping and payroll, the year-end T2 generally comes to $450–$650 a month. The year-end covers the T2 with Schedule 1 and Schedule 50, the CCA schedule, the small business deduction, T4 or T5 slips for the owner’s pay, and the instalments for the year ahead. ## One return, two layers of tax Ontario has the CRA collect its corporate income tax, so a Markham corporation files a single T2 that carries both the federal and the provincial charge. Active business income eligible for the [small business deduction](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/t4012.html) is taxed at a combined 11.2% on a $500,000 business limit: 9% federal plus Ontario’s 2.2% lower rate for days after 30 June 2026. Before that date the Ontario rate was 3.2%, and a taxation year that straddles 1 July 2026 is prorated by days, so a calendar-2026 year-end blends to roughly 11.7% combined. General income is taxed at 26.5%, being 15% federal plus Ontario’s 11.5% general rate. The gap between the two bands is now 15.3 points, wider than before the July cut. For a Markham company growing toward the $500,000 limit, or one that shares the limit with associated corporations, that gap is the number to plan against, because every dollar pushed above the limit costs the difference. ## What Markham corporations tend to look like The City of Markham’s economic development office describes a local economy built on technology, semiconductors, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, professional services, and finance and insurance, with a large number of head offices nearby. The owner-managed corporations around that base are mostly engineering and software consultancies, hardware and component firms, importers and distributors, clinics and professional corporations, and family holding structures. Each of those shapes the T2 differently. A consultancy’s return is usually simple until one client dominates the revenue, when the personal services business question appears. A distributor’s return turns on inventory at year-end and on foreign-exchange gains on U.S.-dollar balances. A hardware or development company may claim SR&ED on Form T661 alongside the T2, with the refundable credit sometimes the largest number on the return. A family holding company raises associated-corporation questions about how the business limit is shared. We prepare each of these from the same closed books, so the return agrees with the financial statements line for line. ## HST, recoverable in full Ontario harmonized its provincial sales tax with the GST, so a single 13% HST covers both and is administered federally. The corporate consequence is cleaner than it looks: the provincial component is recoverable as an [input tax credit](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/rc4022.html) exactly like the federal one, so no provincial sales tax ends up buried in cost of goods sold. Where a Markham company exports, the export sales are often zero-rated and the credits on its inputs still come back. [Input tax credits](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/input-tax-credits-itc-canada-guide) covers what is recoverable and what records the CRA expects. ## Employer health tax: the rate is chosen before the exemption Ontario levies an employer health tax on remuneration, and it has a feature that catches technology employers as they grow. The rate is selected from the payroll bands using total Ontario remuneration *before* the exemption is deducted; only then is the $1,000,000 exemption subtracted from the taxable base. No exemption is available where the employer or its associated group has more than $5,000,000 of annual Ontario payroll, and associated employers must file an allocation agreement to share one exemption. For a Markham corporation hiring developers or engineers, this is a cost to model before the hiring, not after. ## The registry annual return is a separate filing An Ontario corporation’s annual return is filed through the Ontario Business Registry within six months of fiscal year-end. It is not part of the T2, it is not filed with the CRA, and missing it does not produce a tax assessment, which is precisely why it gets forgotten. It keeps the company in good standing and its registered information current. The consequences of neglect stay quiet until a lender, buyer or lawyer asks for a certificate of status. [Corporate annual returns](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/corporate-annual-return-bc-vs-federal) explains how the obligation differs by jurisdiction of incorporation. ## Dividends to family shareholders Many Markham corporations are family companies, with a spouse, parents or adult children holding shares. Paying dividends to those shareholders is not the planning tool it once was. Unless the recipient meets one of the excluded-share, labour-contribution or age-based exceptions, the tax on split income can tax the dividend at the top marginal rate regardless of the recipient’s other income. The rules turn on facts — hours actually worked, ownership percentages, the nature of the business — and the analysis belongs before the dividend is declared. [Tax on split income](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/tosi-tax-on-split-income-canada) sets out the exceptions. ## Instalments once the corporation is profitable A Markham corporation past its first profitable year generally moves onto [instalments](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/corporations/corporation-payments/paying-instalments.html), paying combined federal and Ontario tax through the year rather than at filing. The base is built from prior-year figures, so a company coming off a strong year keeps paying at that level into a weaker one unless the estimate is revised. The opposite is more common and more expensive: a fast-growing company pays instalments sized to a much smaller prior year, then meets a large balance and interest at filing. For a CCPC claiming the small business deduction the balance is due three months after year-end, before the return itself. [T2 deadlines and penalties](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/t2-deadline-penalties-canada) sets out the dates. ## Working with a CPA online EverStone is a fully virtual CPA firm serving BC, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba. There is no office in Markham and no local staff. Ontario corporate tax is reported inside the federal return under rules that are identical wherever the preparer sits, and the return is transmitted electronically. The engagement runs by secure document exchange, video meetings booked around your schedule, and e-signature. What you give up is the ability to drop paperwork at a reception desk. What you get is the same CPA on the file from the first question to the filed return. With a rate change mid-year, the year-end target matters more, and [a budget built from the operations](https://www.everstonecpa.com/budgeting-and-forecasting) fixes it before the year closes. The closest large-city page is [our Toronto accountant page](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-toronto). About this article **EverStone CPA** Written and reviewed by a Chartered Professional Accountant at EverStone CPA, a fully virtual firm preparing T2 returns and Ontario registry filings for Markham corporations. Updated October 2026 . [About the firm](https://www.everstonecpa.com/about) · [Send an enquiry](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online) ## Key T2 dates for a Markham corporation Key T2 dates for a Markham corporation Your fiscal year-end sets these dates, not the calendar year — for a business operating in Markham, Ontario | Obligation | When it is due | | Balance owing | 3 months after fiscal year-end, for a CCPC claiming the small-business deduction | | [T2 return](https://www.everstonecpa.com/glossary) filing | 6 months after fiscal year-end | | Ontario Business Registry annual return | Within 6 months of fiscal year-end | | Instalments | Monthly or quarterly, where your corporation is required to pay them | | Sales tax where you operate | 13% HST, a single registration and a single return | Source: [All CRA deadlines](https://www.everstonecpa.com/cra-tax-deadlines). General information, not advice. In Markham, EverStone also works with [tech startups](https://www.everstonecpa.com/tech-startup-accountant-markham) and [trades businesses](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trades-accountant-markham). Common questions ## Markham corporate tax questions **What is the corporate tax rate for a Markham company?** Combined rates are 11.2% on active business income eligible for the small business deduction (9% federal plus 2.2% Ontario) for days after 30 June 2026 (12.2% before that date; a straddling year is prorated by days) and 26.5% on general income (15% federal plus 11.5% Ontario), on a $500,000 business limit. [Ask about your case →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **Does Ontario have a separate corporate tax return?** No. The CRA collects Ontario corporate income tax through the same T2, so there is one corporate income tax return. The separate Ontario filing is the annual return to the Ontario Business Registry, which is a corporate-law obligation rather than a tax return. **When is the Ontario annual return due?** Within six months of the corporation’s fiscal year-end, filed through the Ontario Business Registry. It keeps the corporation in good standing and its registered information current, and it is separate from the T2. **Can my Markham company claim SR&ED on the T2?** If it does qualifying development work, yes. The claim is filed on Form T661 with the T2, and a Canadian-controlled private corporation can earn an enhanced refundable credit. The claim depends on time and cost records kept during the year, so we set those up in the bookkeeping rather than at filing. **Do you have an office in Markham?** No. EverStone serves Markham corporations entirely online. Documents are exchanged securely, returns are e-signed, and no office visit is required at any stage. **What does a corporate tax return cost in Markham?** Markham businesses pay the same published fees as everyone else. Standalone T2 work is priced after we review your enquiry, once the books are seen. For a one-owner company, bookkeeping, payroll and a year-end return with statements usually run $450 to $650 a month combined. [Published fees](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing). **Do you work with businesses outside Markham itself?** Yes. Unionville, Richmond Hill, Whitchurch-Stouffville and the rest of York Region are handled like Markham itself, by video, email and a secure upload link, on the same fixed fees. More Markham services [Accountant in Markham](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-markham) · [Personal tax (T1) in Markham](https://www.everstonecpa.com/personal-tax-accountant-markham) · [Bookkeeping in Markham](https://www.everstonecpa.com/bookkeeping-markham) · [Payroll in Markham](https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-services-markham) · [GST/HST filing in Markham](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-filing-markham) · [Financial statements in Markham](https://www.everstonecpa.com/financial-statements-markham) · [Fractional CFO in Markham](https://www.everstonecpa.com/cfo-services-markham) · [Trades and construction accounting in Markham](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trades-accountant-markham) · [Tech startup accounting in Markham](https://www.everstonecpa.com/tech-startup-accountant-markham) ## Related services and local guides More Markham services, nearby cities, and the Ontario reference pages. [Bookkeeping for Markham businesses Monthly bookkeeping for Markham businesses — HST coding, inventory, SR&ED time records and payroll accruals.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/bookkeeping-markham) [New Corporation Setup Checklist A free checklist for a new Canadian corporation’s first ninety days: registration, CRA accounts, banking, books and deadlines.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/new-corporation-setup-checklist) [Associated corporations and the small business deduction How a family group shares one $500,000 business limit.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/associated-corporations-small-business-deduction) [Fractional CFO support for Markham firms Cash forecasting, margins and lender reporting for growing Markham companies.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/cfo-services-markham) [Corporate tax (T2) in Toronto The same corporate tax engagement, serving Toronto](https://www.everstonecpa.com/corporate-tax-accountant-toronto) [Corporate tax hub Every T2 guide in one place](https://www.everstonecpa.com/corporate-tax-hub) [T2 deadline calculator Find your filing and payment dates](https://www.everstonecpa.com/t2-deadline-calculator) [Accountants across Ontario Remote CPA service throughout Ontario](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-ontario) [Ontario tax facts Current rates and thresholds for Ontario](https://www.everstonecpa.com/ontario-tax-facts) [Accountant in Toronto The nearest large-city practice page](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-toronto) ## Who this is for, and who it is not For a Markham corporation that wants the T2, the Ontario layers and the registry return handled by one CPA at a fee fixed first. Not for price-only shoppers, or anyone who wants an office to visit. The work is remote, on [published fees](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing). ## What happens when you get in touch A Markham company starts in three steps. - **Email enquiry.** Tell us about the company, past filings and anything late, then get a written fixed fee with no obligation. - **CRA access.** [Authorization](https://www.everstonecpa.com/forms/aut-01) lets us read balances and notices directly through My Business Account; [a previous firm’s file](https://www.everstonecpa.com/switching-accountants) is requested that week. - **Caught up.** Books closed, late years filed oldest first, and [T2 and instalment dates](https://www.everstonecpa.com/t2-deadline) set for the year. [Send an enquiry](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online) or [ask a question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question). ## Incorporated in Markham? Get the T2, the Ontario layers and the registry deadline handled by one CPA, at a fixed fee agreed up front. [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online)[Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) ★★★★★ “…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/corporate-tax-accountant-markham Contact: info@everstonecpa.com · https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online