--- title: "Realtor Accountant in Ottawa | EverStone CPA" url: https://www.everstonecpa.com/realtor-accountant-ottawa description: "CPA for Ottawa realtors and personal real estate corporations — commission timing, incorporation, expenses and HST. See fixed fees, all online." type: service-in-a-city updated: 2026-10-02 summary: "Commission arrives unevenly and gross, before brokerage splits and costs, which is why the amount that lands in your account and the amount you are taxed on are different numbers. Incorporating through a personal real estate corporation changes where the income sits and what your options are. For Ottawa businesses, EverStone handles the return, HST, expense support and instalment planning at a fixed fee." faq_count: 7 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/) [Realtor accounting](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-for-realtors) Ottawa Realtors & PREC · Ottawa # Realtor accountant in *Ottawa* Commission income behaves differently from salary, and incorporating changes it again. EverStone is an [accountant for realtors](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-for-realtors) and an [Ottawa small business accountant](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-ottawa), handling both at fixed fees, online. [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online)[Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **Quick answer:** Commission arrives unevenly and gross, before brokerage splits and costs, which is why the amount that lands in your account and the amount you are taxed on are different numbers. Incorporating through a personal real estate corporation changes where the income sits and what your options are. For Ottawa businesses, EverStone handles the return, HST, expense support and instalment planning at a fixed fee. Published fees start at $325 a month for bookkeeping and $125 for a personal return. One-owner Ottawa realtor’s PREC clients: bookkeeping, payroll and the T2 from $500 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. Commission income works the same way across the country: [realtors in Vancouver](https://www.everstonecpa.com/realtor-accountant-vancouver) face an identical instalment and HST/GST profile, and our national [accounting page for real estate agents](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-for-realtors) sets out the deductions the CRA reviews most. ## Ottawa’s market has a rhythm, and tax does not follow it Government relocation cycles and posting seasons make income cluster. Instalments based on last year’s total ignore when this year’s money arrives, so a strong spring can become a quiet-quarter cash problem. We set instalments to the real pattern and adjust them as it changes. ## Gross commission is not your income Your deposit is after the brokerage split but before desk fees, marketing, vehicle and licensing costs, and the taxable figure differs again. Planning from the deposit under-reserves for tax. Keeping expenses current all year, not in April, makes the number reliable. ## Whether a PREC is worth it A personal real estate corporation changes where commission lands: income is earned by the corporation and paid out deliberately, which opens the salary-versus-dividend decision and the option of leaving profit in the company. It also adds a corporate return, formal bookkeeping and real record-keeping obligations. Whether it pays turns far more on how much you draw than on what you gross. If you spend essentially everything you earn, the deferral advantage narrows quickly. We run it on your actual drawings — our [salary-versus-dividends calculator](https://www.everstonecpa.com/salary-vs-dividends-calculator) is a reasonable starting point. ### The shareholder loan trap that catches newly incorporated realtors Once incorporated, the business account is not yours. Money taken without being declared as salary or a dividend is a shareholder loan, and one left past the deadline is added to your income, often unexpectedly. Commission timing invites ad-hoc draws; a regular scheduled draw prevents most problems. See our [shareholder loans guide](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/shareholder-loans-canada-taking-money-out-of-corporation). ## Expenses: what holds up and what does not Vehicle costs, [home office](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your-tax-return/tax-return/completing-a-tax-return/deductions-credits-expenses/line-22900-other-employment-expenses/work-space-home-expenses.html), marketing, licensing, dues and technology are ordinarily deductible when incurred to earn commission. Two failures are common: a vehicle claim without mileage records, and dropping a defensible home-office claim. Decide the position early and keep records as you go. ## Your first year incorporated, month by month The first PREC year holds most of the surprises. The corporation earns the commission, and it becomes your income only when you pay it out. The rhythm that works is simple. Keep the corporate account separate from personal spending. Take a regular draw instead of money as deals close. Decide the salary-and-dividend mix early in the year, and revisit it if the year changes. Keep a mileage log from day one, because it is the claim most often lost. Expect the first corporate year-end to need more documentation than a personal return; that is a one-time adjustment. Owners who set this up properly in year one rarely think about it again. Owners who do not tend to spend year two untangling it. ### Working with us from Ottawa Everything runs online by video, phone, secure upload and e-signature, with booking in Eastern time. The fee is fixed up front, so ask about a deal structure in August, not at year-end. ### Coordinating the corporate and personal returns With a PREC there are two linked returns. What the corporation pays out shapes your personal return, and the December mix sets the April personal bill. Prepared separately, they give a corporate plan that works alone and a personal bill nobody modelled. We prepare both and set the split on the combined result. ## What EverStone handles for you One CPA, one fixed fee agreed up front: - Corporate return and year-end statements for your PREC - Personal T1 coordinated with the corporate return - Instalments planned against real commission timing - Vehicle, home office and marketing claims properly supported - HST registration and filings - Shareholder loan balances watched before they become income ## Fixed fees, fully online EverStone is a CPA firm working with Ottawa realtors entirely online. Booking shows Eastern times automatically, and anything sent at the end of your day is usually answered before the next one starts. The fee is fixed and agreed before work begins. See [what it costs](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing). About this article **EverStone CPA** Prepared and reviewed by a CPA at EverStone CPA, serving businesses in BC, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba. Updated September 2026 . [About the firm](https://www.everstonecpa.com/about) · [Send an enquiry](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online) ## What a realtor has to get right What a realtor has to get right The items that decide a realtor’s year-end — for a business operating in Ottawa, Ontario | Item | Why it matters | | Commission income | Recognised on its own timing, which rarely matches when the cheque clears | | Personal real estate corporation | A PREC changes which return the income lands on | | Vehicle and promotion costs | Among the most commonly reviewed deductions in this industry | | GST/HST on commissions | Commission income is generally taxable, so registration thresholds arrive quickly | | Sales tax where you operate | 13% HST, a single registration and a single return | Source: [Real estate professional accounting](https://www.everstonecpa.com/real-estate-professionals-accounting). General information, not advice. Other services for Ottawa businesses: [year-end statements](https://www.everstonecpa.com/financial-statements-ottawa). ## Remote accounting for realtors EverStone is a fully virtual, one-CPA firm. **There is no Ottawa office and no local staff.** We meet by video or phone and exchange documents securely by email and e-signature. Commission income, the PREC question and expense tracking are handled together, as one decision. Common questions ## Ottawa accounting for realtors and personal real estate corporations FAQ **Should I set up a PREC?** It depends far more on what you draw than what you gross. A personal real estate corporation offers deferral where you consistently earn more than you spend, plus flexibility over how and when you pay yourself — against the cost of a corporate return, formal bookkeeping and record-keeping obligations. If you spend most of what you earn, the advantage is thin. We run the numbers on your actual position. [Ask about your case →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **Why does my tax bill keep surprising me?** Usually because planning starts from the deposit, not the taxable figure, and instalments based on a strong prior year compound it. Current expenses and instalments set to the real pattern fix both. **I took money out of the corporation for personal costs. Is that a problem?** Handle it deliberately. Undeclared draws are a shareholder loan, and one outstanding past the deadline becomes personal income. It is cheap to fix early. A regular scheduled draw avoids most of it. **Do you work with realtors across the Ottawa region?** Yes — realtors and personal real estate corporations in Ottawa, Kanata, Nepean, Orléans, Barrhaven and the surrounding area, and elsewhere in BC, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba. Everything is handled online, which suits a schedule built around showings. **Do I have to register for HST on my Ottawa commission income?** Once your taxable commissions pass $30,000 over four rolling quarters, registration is mandatory, and most full-time Ottawa agents cross that quickly. Ontario commissions carry HST, which you charge to the brokerage and remit. Registering also lets you recover the tax on advertising, vehicle costs and desk fees, so many agents register before they are required to. **How should I set aside tax on commission income?** Move a fixed percentage of each commission cheque into a separate account the day it lands. No tax is withheld and no HST separated, so the whole deposit looks spendable when part belongs to CRA. Skipping this is how instalment interest starts. **Which of my Ottawa expenses are actually deductible?** Advertising, signage, brokerage and board fees, licensing, business kilometres and a home office that is your principal place of business. Client entertainment and most meals are partly deductible. Grooming and everyday clothing are not, however client-facing the work. ## Related services and local guides Nearby cities, the rest of what we do for Ottawa businesses, and the reference pages behind this one. [A PREC Accountant for British Columbia Realtors](https://www.everstonecpa.com/prec-accountant-bc) [Accountant for incorporated Ottawa consultants](https://www.everstonecpa.com/consultant-accountant-ottawa) [Personal tax accountant in Ottawa](https://www.everstonecpa.com/personal-tax-accountant-ottawa) [Trades accountant in Ottawa](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trades-accountant-ottawa) [Fractional CFO support for Ottawa consultancies and government suppliers](https://www.everstonecpa.com/cfo-services-ottawa) [Real estate professional accounting](https://www.everstonecpa.com/real-estate-professionals-accounting) [Accounting & CPA services in Ottawa](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-ottawa) [Bookkeeping in Ottawa](https://www.everstonecpa.com/bookkeeping-ottawa) [Corporate tax (T2) in Ottawa](https://www.everstonecpa.com/corporate-tax-accountant-ottawa) [GST/HST filing in Ottawa](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-filing-ottawa) [Payroll in Ottawa](https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-services-ottawa) [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) [Realtor accounting in Surrey](https://www.everstonecpa.com/realtor-accountant-surrey) ### Starting fees Every fee is fixed in writing before any work begins. - **Monthly bookkeeping, HST 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) --- Source: https://www.everstonecpa.com/realtor-accountant-ottawa Prices: https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing · Contact: info@everstonecpa.com · https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online