--- title: "Payroll Services in Ottawa, ON | EverStone CPA" url: https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-services-ottawa description: "Payroll for Ottawa employers with Quebec-side staff: province of employment, QPP and QPIP, RL-1 slips, Ontario EHT and CRA remittances. Ask for a fee." type: service-in-a-city updated: 2026-10-02 summary: "Source deductions for an Ottawa employee follow the establishment the employee reports to. An employee living in Gatineau who reports to an Ottawa office is subject to Ontario deductions. Quebec source deductions, QPP, QPIP and RL-1 slips arise where the employer has a Quebec establishment the employee reports to or is paid from. Payroll is included in monthly bookkeeping from $325 a month." faq_count: 8 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 --- [Home](https://www.everstonecpa.com/) [Payroll services](https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-services-canada) Ottawa Payroll & source deductions · Ottawa # Payroll services in *Ottawa* Ottawa is the only payroll market where the provincial border runs through the commute, and a Gatineau address alone does not trigger Quebec deductions. EverStone runs payroll for [Ottawa employers](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-ottawa) remotely 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:** [Source deductions](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/payroll/remitting-source-deductions.html) for an Ottawa employee follow the establishment the employee reports to. An employee living in Gatineau who reports to an Ottawa office is subject to Ontario deductions. Quebec source deductions, QPP, QPIP and RL-1 slips arise where the employer has a Quebec establishment the employee reports to or is paid from. Payroll is included in monthly bookkeeping from $325 a month. Payroll covers the source deductions for CPP, EI premiums and income tax, the remittances to the CRA, the year-end T4 and T4A slips, and access through My Business Account. Updated September 2026 . The establishment the employee reports to — not the home address. ## The question is the establishment, not the address Every Ottawa employer eventually hires someone living in Gatineau, and most first ask the wrong question. Residence does not determine source deductions; the **establishment the employee reports for work at** does. A Gatineau resident reporting daily to an Ottawa office is an Ontario employee for payroll: Ontario tables, CPP, EI, a T4. Quebec residents reconcile withholding against what Quebec assesses on their own return. It changes when the *employer* has a Quebec establishment. Revenu Québec requires source deductions and employer contributions where an employee reports to one of your Quebec establishments, or reports nowhere and is paid from one. An Ottawa business opening a Gatineau location, or hiring remote staff attached to one, has entered a second payroll regime. ## What a Quebec establishment actually pulls in Quebec runs parallel institutions, not just a different table. The **Quebec Pension Plan** replaces CPP for Quebec employment. The **Quebec Parental Insurance Plan** sits beside federal EI, with employee and employer premiums. Provincial tax goes to **Revenu Québec**, not the CRA, on its own schedule. And an **RL-1** slip is issued alongside the T4. Where an employee reports to establishments inside and outside Quebec, treatment becomes proportional, and premiums paid under plans outside Quebec are counted so employer cost is not duplicated. At that point Ottawa payroll is no side-of-desk task. Make and document the determination before the hire, not after the first slip. ## Ontario employer health tax still applies to the Ontario side Ontario employer health tax works as usual, with one trap: the rate is picked from the band table on total Ontario remuneration *before* the exemption, then the $1,000,000 exemption is deducted and the rate applied. Rates run from 0.98% to 1.95% on payroll over $400,000; groups over $5,000,000 of annual Ontario payroll get no exemption. WSIB is separate. See the [Ontario tax facts page](https://www.everstonecpa.com/ontario-tax-facts). ## What the engagement covers - Province of employment determined and documented for each employee - Ontario deductions, remittances and T4s for Ontario-employed staff - Quebec source deductions, QPP, QPIP and RL-1 slips where a Quebec establishment is involved - Remittances to the CRA and, where applicable, to Revenu Québec on their separate schedules - Ontario employer health tax calculated with the band selected correctly - WSIB payroll reporting - Records of employment under the correct provincial standards ## Remote, and nowhere near the Ottawa Valley EverStone is a virtual sole-practitioner CPA firm with no Ottawa office, now or planned; Ottawa employers work with us by video, secure exchange and e-signature. For a payroll spanning two provincial regimes, one accountant holding the file matters more than proximity: the determination made at hiring is the one reflected in February. The [remittance calculator](https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-remittance-calculator) checks federal figures. The year end this all feeds into is [corporate tax in Ottawa](https://www.everstonecpa.com/corporate-tax-accountant-ottawa). Remitting to two tax authorities means two sets of due dates to fund, which is where [cash flow management](https://www.everstonecpa.com/cash-flow-management) comes in. About this article **EverStone CPA** Written and checked by the Chartered Professional Accountant at EverStone CPA, serving Ottawa employers remotely. Revised September 2026. [About the firm](https://www.everstonecpa.com/about) · [Send an enquiry](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online) ## Payroll obligations for an Ottawa employer Payroll obligations for an Ottawa employer Federal obligations plus what Ontario adds — for a business operating in Ottawa, Ontario | Obligation | What it involves | | Source deductions | CPP, EI and income tax withheld from each pay | | Remittance | Due on the schedule the CRA assigns to your payroll account | | T4 slips and summary | Filed after the calendar year end | | Provincial payroll tax (Ontario) | Employer health tax, once Ontario payroll exceeds the $1,000,000 exemption | | Sales tax where you operate | 13% HST, a single registration and a single return | Source: [Ontario tax facts](https://www.everstonecpa.com/ontario-tax-facts). General information, not advice. In Ottawa, EverStone also works with [consultants](https://www.everstonecpa.com/consultant-accountant-ottawa), [realtors](https://www.everstonecpa.com/realtor-accountant-ottawa) and [restaurants](https://www.everstonecpa.com/restaurant-accountant-ottawa). ## Who this is for, and who it is not For an Ottawa consultancy, tech contractor or professional practice with staff living or working in Gatineau, wanting correct provincial deductions, a balanced [PD7A](https://www.everstonecpa.com/forms/pd7a) and correct T4s or RL-1s. A large unionized shift workforce needs a dedicated platform, and we will point you to one. Otherwise [the fee](https://www.everstonecpa.com/fee-estimate) is agreed first. ## What happens when you get in touch For a payroll spanning two provinces, the order of these steps matters. - **An email enquiry.** Where each person reports for work, how they are paid, and which accounts the CRA and Revenu Québec already hold for you. - **Establishment decided, then deadlines set.** Each employee’s province is fixed before the first run, and remittance dates are diarized so none becomes a [missed remittance](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/payroll-remittances-canada-rp-account). - **Every run, then both year ends.** Deductions remitted on schedule, then federal slips filed by the end of February. [Send an enquiry](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online), or [put a Gatineau question to us](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) first. Common questions ## Ottawa and cross-border payroll questions **An employee lives in Gatineau but works at our Ottawa office. Which deductions apply?** Ontario deductions. Source deductions follow the establishment the employee reports to, not residence. A Quebec resident reconciles what was withheld against what Quebec assesses on their own return. [Ask about your case →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **When do Quebec source deductions become our obligation?** When an employee reports to one of your Quebec establishments, or reports nowhere and is paid from one. For an Ottawa business the usual trigger is opening a Gatineau location, not hiring someone who lives there. **What changes if we do have a Quebec establishment?** Parallel obligations: QPP replaces CPP, the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan runs beside EI, provincial tax goes to Revenu Québec on its own schedule, and an RL-1 is issued with the T4. **What if someone reports to establishments on both sides of the river?** It becomes proportional, and premiums paid under plans outside Quebec are counted so the employer contribution is not duplicated. The determination is fact-specific, so settle it before the arrangement starts. **Do Ottawa employers still pay Ontario employer health tax?** Yes, on Ontario remuneration. The rate is chosen from the graduated band table using payroll before the exemption, then applied after the $1,000,000 exemption is deducted. No exemption is available where the employer or its associated group exceeds $5,000,000 of annual Ontario payroll. **Is there an EverStone office in Ottawa?** No. The firm works online, and serves Ottawa employers entirely remotely. Everything runs by video call, secure file exchange and e-signature, and no part of a payroll engagement depends on meeting in person. **What does payroll cost for an Ottawa business?** Nothing about an Ottawa address changes the fee. Payroll is included in monthly bookkeeping from $325 a month; a payroll-only engagement is quoted by headcount and pay frequency, in writing, after we review your enquiry. [See the published fees](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing). **Do you work with businesses outside Ottawa itself?** Yes. Employers in Kanata, Nepean, Orléans and, across the river, Gatineau are set up the same way as those in Ottawa: payroll runs remotely, remittances are scheduled, and the fee does not change with the address. ## Related services and local guides Nearby cities, the rest of what we do for Ottawa businesses, and the reference pages behind this one. [Financial statements for Ottawa consultants and government suppliers](https://www.everstonecpa.com/financial-statements-ottawa) [Trades accountant in Ottawa](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trades-accountant-ottawa) [Personal tax accountant in Ottawa](https://www.everstonecpa.com/personal-tax-accountant-ottawa) [Payroll in Chilliwack](https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-services-chilliwack) [Payroll in Abbotsford](https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-services-abbotsford) [Payroll in Mission](https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-services-mission) [CFO services in Ottawa](https://www.everstonecpa.com/cfo-services-ottawa) [Accounting & CPA services in Ottawa](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-ottawa) [Bookkeeping in Ottawa](https://www.everstonecpa.com/bookkeeping-ottawa) [Payroll services in BC, AB, ON and MB](https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-services-canada) [Payroll hub Remittances, deductions and T4 filing](https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-hub) [Payroll deduction calculator CPP, EI and tax on a pay period](https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-deduction-calculator) [Accountants across Ontario](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-ontario) [Ontario tax facts Current rates and thresholds for Ontario](https://www.everstonecpa.com/ontario-tax-facts) [HST registration and filing in Ottawa](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-filing-ottawa) ### Starting fees Every fee is fixed in writing before any work begins. - **Payroll, remittances, T4s and ROEs** included in monthly bookkeeping *This page* - **Monthly bookkeeping, HST filing included** from $325 a month - **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=payroll#enquiry-form) --- Source: https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-services-ottawa Prices: https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing · Contact: info@everstonecpa.com · https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online