--- title: "Professional Corporation Accountant St. Albert | EverStone CPA" url: https://www.everstonecpa.com/professional-corporation-accountant-st-albert description: "CPA for St. Albert professional corporations: physicians, dentists, therapists, engineers. Salary vs dividends, retained earnings, the T2. Ask us today." updated: 2026-10-15 publisher: EverStone CPA Inc. (Chartered Professional Accountant firm, Abbotsford, BC) service_area: British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba --- [Home](https://www.everstonecpa.com/) [Incorporated professionals](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-for-incorporated-professionals) St. Albert Professional corporations · St. Albert # Professional corporation accountant in *St. Albert* Regulated professionals who incorporate get a structure with real advantages and real obligations. EverStone works with incorporated physicians, dentists, therapists, engineers and other professionals in St. Albert, at fixed fees, fully online. [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online)[Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **Quick answer:** A professional corporation pays off when profit consistently exceeds what you draw, because that gap is where tax deferral happens. It brings a T2 and an Alberta AT1 each year, formal bookkeeping, payroll if you employ staff, and an annual return to keep the corporation in good standing. EverStone handles the returns, the annual salary-versus-dividend decision and the retained-earnings question at a fixed fee agreed up front. Published fees start at $300 a month for bookkeeping and $100 for a personal return. The City of St. Albert lists health sciences among the sectors in its business districts, and the city has many clinics and practices serving its own residents and the communities to the north. The same structure questions apply to all of them. ## Who we work with Our St. Albert professional corporation clients are mostly health practitioners: family physicians and specialists, dentists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, optometrists and pharmacists. We also work with engineers, architects and other regulated professionals who have incorporated, many of whom contract into larger organizations across the Edmonton region. Each profession’s regulator sets its own rules for who may own shares in the corporation and what permit it needs. Those rules sit alongside the tax rules, and both have to be satisfied. ## What a professional corporation actually gives you The advantage is timing. Income earned by the corporation is not your personal income until you take it out, so profit you do not need to live on can stay in the company and be taxed at corporate rates instead of your personal marginal rate. In Alberta, active business income eligible for the small business deduction is taxed at 11% combined on the first $500,000, and above that at 23% combined. For a professional whose earnings comfortably exceed their spending, the deferral compounds. For one who draws nearly everything, it does very little, and the corporate return, bookkeeping and filings cost the same. The honest test is not what you bill. It is the gap between what you earn and what you spend. ## Salary, dividends, and why it is an annual decision Salary creates RRSP contribution room and CPP contributions, is deductible to the corporation, and is reported on a T4 with payroll remittances through the year. Dividends do neither, avoid CPP, are reported on a T5 and are administratively simpler. Neither is always better. The right mix moves with your income, your RRSP room, your pension plans and what you need to live on that year. Dividends paid from income taxed at the small business rate are non-eligible dividends, with a smaller gross-up and credit. Where professionals go wrong is treating the mix as a setting chosen once at incorporation. We recalculate it every year against real numbers. [The salary and dividend calculator](https://www.everstonecpa.com/salary-vs-dividends-calculator) shows the trade-off. ## Retained earnings and the passive income question Leaving profit in the corporation is the point of the structure, but money that builds up there is usually invested, and investment income earned inside a corporation is taxed differently from active business income. At enough scale, passive income can also reduce the corporation’s access to the small business rate on its active income, and that limit is shared across associated corporations, such as a professional corporation and a holding company owned by the same person. That is not a reason to avoid saving inside the corporation. It is a reason to know where the thresholds sit before you cross them. [Passive income and the small business deduction](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/small-business-deduction-passive-income-canada) explains how it works. ## Alberta specifics worth knowing Alberta has no provincial sales tax, so the sales-tax side is GST only. Many health services are exempt from GST, which means a clinic often does not charge it and cannot claim input tax credits on its costs, while a practice that also sells taxable products or non-exempt services may need to register. Alberta also administers its own corporate income tax, so the corporation files an AT1 with Alberta Tax and Revenue Administration alongside the federal T2. And there is no employer health tax, so a clinic’s payroll carries CPP, EI and WCB-Alberta premiums with nothing provincial added. ## When the practice employs people Many professional corporations start as one person and grow: a receptionist, a hygienist, an associate, a part-time bookkeeper. That brings source deductions on a CRA remittance schedule, T4s each February, vacation pay and Alberta general holiday pay, and a heavier bookkeeping load. It also changes the salary-versus-dividend calculation, because a payroll is now running anyway. Paying a spouse or adult child is allowed for work genuinely performed at a reasonable rate. That test is applied on substance, and dividends to family members carry their own split-income rules. ## What the corporation needs from you each year A professional corporation is a separate legal entity. Beyond the T2 and AT1, it files an annual return with the Alberta Corporate Registry through a registry agent to stay in good standing, keeps minutes and resolutions recording dividends declared, holds a bank account separate from personal spending, and keeps books that stand on their own. Your regulator may also require an annual permit for the corporation. The registry filing is the one most often missed, because nothing is owing with it. The common failure is drift. A dividend paid but never declared becomes a shareholder loan. A loan from the corporation left outstanding past the deadline can be included in your personal income, usually in a year you did not plan for it. Professionals are especially exposed because their income is steady enough that ad hoc drawing feels safe. The fix is a regular scheduled draw and resolutions recorded at the time. We handle the second part as a matter of course. ## If you are considering incorporating now Work out what you will actually draw. Model the corporation against that, not against billings, and the answer usually becomes clear in one conversation. Where incorporating is right, we set up the books, the payroll account and the GST position if one is needed, and handle the first corporate year including the move from personal filing. See [whether to incorporate](https://www.everstonecpa.com/incorporation-advice) for the general trade-offs. ## What EverStone handles for you - T2 and Alberta AT1 corporate returns and year-end financial statements - Salary-versus-dividend mix recalculated every year - Retained earnings reviewed against the passive income limits - Payroll and remittances where the corporation employs staff - Your personal T1 prepared alongside the corporate return - GST position reviewed, filings and CRA correspondence handled ## Fixed fees, fully online EverStone is a fully virtual firm with no St. Albert office. Everything runs by email, video and secure upload, which suits a professional whose day is booked in appointments. Meetings are booked in Mountain Time around clinic hours, and questions sent by email are usually answered the same business day. The fee is fixed and agreed before work starts. See [what it costs](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing). About this article **EverStone CPA** Prepared and reviewed by a Chartered Professional Accountant at EverStone CPA, a fully virtual CPA firm working with owner-managed businesses in BC, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba. Updated October 2026 . [About the firm](https://www.everstonecpa.com/about) · [Send an enquiry](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online) ## What an incorporated professional has to get right What an incorporated professional has to get right Where professional rules and tax rules meet, for a practice operating in St. Albert, Alberta | Item | Why it matters | | Who may own shares | Restricted by the governing regulator, not just by tax rules | | Salary or dividends | The mix changes both the corporate return and your personal one | | Retained earnings | Income left in the corporation is taxed differently from income taken out | | Annual filings | T2 and AT1, the Alberta Corporate Registry annual return and any regulator permit | | Sales tax where you operate | 5% GST only, and many health services are exempt. Alberta levies no provincial sales tax | Source: [Accounting for incorporated professionals](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-for-incorporated-professionals). General information, not advice. Common questions ## St. Albert professional corporation FAQ **Is a professional corporation worth it for me?** It depends on the gap between what you earn and what you spend, not on what you bill. If profit consistently exceeds your drawings, deferral compounds and the structure earns its keep. If you draw essentially everything, the advantage is small. We run it against your actual drawings. [Ask about your case →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **Should I pay myself salary or dividends?** It is an annual decision. Salary builds RRSP room and CPP and is deductible to the corporation; dividends avoid CPP and are simpler. The right mix moves with your income, your RRSP room and what you need to live on. **Does my clinic need to charge GST?** Many health services are exempt from GST, so a clinic often does not charge it and cannot claim input tax credits. If the practice also sells taxable products or services, registration may be needed once those sales pass the $30,000 small-supplier threshold. **What ongoing filings does an Alberta professional corporation have?** A T2 and an AT1 each year regardless of profit, GST returns if registered, payroll remittances and T4s if anyone is paid a salary, and an annual return with the Alberta Corporate Registry. Your regulator may also require an annual corporate permit. **Can I pay my spouse through the corporation?** Only for work genuinely performed, at an amount reasonable for that work. Dividends to family members carry their own split-income rules. Worth setting up properly rather than assuming. **What does an accountant cost for a St. Albert professional corporation?** Monthly bookkeeping starts from $300 a month and a personal return from $100; a corporate return is quoted after we review your enquiry. A single question can go to a 45-minute Advice Call, a flat fee of $200 + GST. Every fee is fixed in writing first. See the [published fees](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing). **Do you work with professionals outside St. Albert itself?** Yes. Practices in Morinville, Gibbons, Bon Accord, Legal and Sturgeon County are served the same way, online and at the same fixed fees. ## Related services and local guides The rest of what we do for St. Albert businesses, the nearest big-city pages and the reference pages behind this one. [Accountant in St. Albert The full practice for St. Albert owner-managed businesses: T2, AT1, books, GST and owner pay.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-st-albert) [Corporate tax (T2 and AT1) in St. Albert The federal T2 and the Alberta AT1 prepared from one year-end file.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/corporate-tax-accountant-st-albert) [Personal tax (T1) in St. Albert T1 returns for incorporated owners, the self-employed and families.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/personal-tax-accountant-st-albert) [Bookkeeping in St. Albert Monthly reconciled books with GST filing included.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/bookkeeping-st-albert) [Payroll services in St. Albert Pay runs, CRA remittances, Alberta holiday pay, WCB-Alberta reporting and T4s.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-services-st-albert) [GST/HST filing in St. Albert GST returns and input tax credit records that hold up on review.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-filing-st-albert) [Financial statements in St. Albert Year-end compilation statements a bank or bonding company can use.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/financial-statements-st-albert) [Fractional CFO in St. Albert Forecasting, cash planning and lender reporting, part-time.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/cfo-services-st-albert) [Trades accountant in St. Albert Job costing, T5018 slips, holdbacks and prompt payment for contractors.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trades-accountant-st-albert) [For incorporated professionals Professional corporations and their tax rules](https://www.everstonecpa.com/incorporated-professionals-hub) [Dental practice incorporation Professional corporations, associates and equipment](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/dental-practice-incorporation-canada) [Eligible vs non-eligible dividends Why the type of dividend changes your personal tax](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/eligible-vs-non-eligible-dividends-canada) [Accounting & CPA services in Edmonton The same CPA engagement, serving Edmonton](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-edmonton) [Accountants across Alberta Remote CPA service throughout Alberta](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-alberta) [Alberta tax facts Current rates and thresholds for Alberta](https://www.everstonecpa.com/alberta-tax-facts) [Published fees What an engagement costs, set out before you ask](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing) ## Incorporated professional in St. Albert? One CPA for your corporate tax, books and planning. Fixed fee, fully online. Send an enquiry. [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online)[Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) ## Remote professional corporation accounting EverStone is a fully virtual firm, working with St. Albert clients entirely online. There is no St. Albert office and no local staff. Documents are exchanged securely, approvals are by e-signature, and no visit is required at any point. The corporation, the compensation decision and the personal return are handled as one file. ## 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 ★★★★★ “…have been completing my bookkeeping, taxes and financials for the last 2 years and they have been amazing. Thank you!” R. H. · Google review --- Source: https://www.everstonecpa.com/professional-corporation-accountant-st-albert Contact: info@everstonecpa.com · https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online