--- title: "Sudbury Realtor Accountant: PRECs, HST and Commission" url: https://www.everstonecpa.com/realtor-accountant-sudbury description: "Sudbury realtors: Ontario PRECs, HST on commission, vehicle and home-office claims and tax instalments, handled online by a CPA. Get a fixed quote today." 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/) [Accountant in Sudbury](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-sudbury) Realtors Realtors & PRECs · Sudbury # Realtor accountant in *Sudbury* Ontario has allowed realtors to earn through a personal real estate corporation since 2020. For a Sudbury agent selling homes across a large municipality, and camps and lakefront properties in a city of lakes, that turned one tax return into a choice about how commission reaches you. EverStone is an [accountant for realtors](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-for-realtors) and a [Sudbury small business accountant](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-sudbury), serving Greater Sudbury remotely at fixed fees. [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online)[Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **Quick answer:** A Sudbury realtor either reports commission personally on the T1 or earns it through an Ontario personal real estate corporation that files a T2. Commission is subject to 13% HST once you are registered, and registration is mandatory past $30,000 of taxable sales in four consecutive quarters. Vehicle and home-office claims rest on records kept through the year. EverStone handles the returns, HST and instalment planning remotely. For a one-owner Sudbury realtor’s PREC, monthly bookkeeping, payroll and the year-end T2 with statements usually cost from $450 to $650 a month all-in. 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. The [hub for realtors, PRECs and brokers](https://www.everstonecpa.com/real-estate-professionals-accounting) explains commission income in general. If you also hold rental property, see [accounting for real estate investors](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-for-real-estate-investors). ## The market a Sudbury agent works Greater Sudbury is a single municipality covering a wide area: the urban core, communities such as Valley East, Chelmsford, Azilda, Lively, Copper Cliff, Garson, Falconbridge and Capreol, and a great deal of lake country. The city describes itself as a city of lakes, with 330 lakes inside its boundaries. An agent here may list a starter home in Hanmer one week and a waterfront camp the next, and buyers include people moving for work in mining, health care, education and government, the sectors that make the city a regional centre for Northeastern Ontario. For the agent, that variety shows up in the tax return as uneven income, a lot of driving and marketing costs that differ by listing. None of it changes the rules, but all of it changes which records matter. ## What changed for Ontario realtors in 2020 Before 2020, an Ontario salesperson or broker had to take commission personally, and every dollar was taxed at personal rates in the year it was earned, whether you spent it or not. Since then, a registrant can have the brokerage pay commission to a personal real estate corporation instead. The corporation pays tax at corporate rates, and you decide how and when money moves to you. The rules are narrow. The corporation exists to carry on your real estate trading, the ownership and control conditions are set by the province, and the brokerage relationship stays in place. In practice a PREC is a vehicle for one agent’s commission, not a general holding company. Get the structure confirmed before the first commission is redirected, because a cheque paid to the wrong entity is awkward to undo. ## Does a PREC make sense for you? The benefit comes from leaving profit in the corporation. If you draw everything you earn to cover a mortgage and living costs, the deferral is small and the extra T2, bookkeeping and year-end statements can cost more than they save. If you earn well above what you spend, the gap stays in the company at a lower rate until you need it. The answer turns on how much you draw, not what you gross. Run your real numbers through the [incorporation calculator](https://www.everstonecpa.com/incorporation-calculator) and the [salary-versus-dividends calculator](https://www.everstonecpa.com/salary-vs-dividends-calculator) before you decide, then set the draw pattern at the start of each year. Money taken from the PREC without being declared as salary or dividends becomes a shareholder loan, and if it is not repaid within one year after the corporation’s year-end it is generally taxed as your income. The [shareholder loans guide](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/shareholder-loans-canada-taking-money-out-of-corporation) covers the trap. ## HST on commissions Real estate commission is a taxable supply, so a registered agent charges [13% HST](https://www.everstonecpa.com/ontario-tax-facts) on it. Registration is mandatory once taxable sales pass $30,000 in four consecutive calendar quarters, which most full-time agents cross early. If you incorporate, the PREC needs its own HST registration, separate from the one you held personally, and commission paid to the old number after the switch is a common first-year error. Registration also lets you recover HST on photography, staging, advertising, signage and vehicle costs through [input tax credits](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/rc4022.html). Most agents with annual revenue of $1.5 million or less file once a year, which makes it easy to spend the HST sitting in the account. Moving each commission’s HST to a separate account the day it lands prevents a large spring bill. See [GST/HST filing in Sudbury](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-filing-sudbury). ## Vehicle and home-office claims Showings across Greater Sudbury can mean long drives between the city, the outlying communities and lake properties on rural roads. The vehicle claim is based on the business share of kilometres, and a log is what proves that share. A log kept for the whole year, or for a representative period that matches the pattern, holds up; a percentage estimated at filing time does not. Use the [mileage and vehicle log](https://www.everstonecpa.com/mileage-and-vehicle-log) from the first week. Driving from home to the brokerage and back is generally personal, while trips to listings and showings are business. A home office is claimable where it is your principal place of business, or is used regularly and exclusively to meet clients. A desk available at the brokerage weakens the claim but does not end it. Inside a PREC both claims work differently: the corporation reimburses you or owns the car, and a company-owned vehicle can create a taxable benefit. ## Commission timing and instalments Commission arrives on closing dates, not on a payroll calendar, and much of a year’s income can land in a few busy months. The gross deposit is also before splits, desk fees and marketing. Personal [instalments](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/corporations/corporation-payments/paying-instalments.html) are required when net tax owing exceeds $3,000 in the current year and either of the two previous years, and are due March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15. The CRA’s reminder is based on history, so a rising year can leave you short even if you pay it exactly. Setting aside a fixed share of each commission is the discipline that keeps April calm. The [tax instalment calculator](https://www.everstonecpa.com/tax-instalment-calculator) shows the schedule. ## What EverStone handles for you One CPA, one fixed fee agreed up front: - PREC T2 return and year-end financial statements - Personal T1 coordinated with the corporate return - HST registration and filings for you or your PREC - Vehicle, home-office and marketing claims supported properly - Instalments planned against real closing dates - Salary and dividend mix reviewed each year ## Fixed fees, fully online EverStone is a CPA firm serving Sudbury realtors entirely online: video calls, a secure upload link and e-signature. For a Sudbury agent, a self-employed T1 with schedules is commonly $250–$450; a PREC with bookkeeping and a T2 is quoted after we review your enquiry. If you only need a decision made, a 45-minute [Advice Call](https://www.everstonecpa.com/advice-call) is a flat $200 + GST. 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 CPA firm working with small and midsized 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 a Sudbury realtor has to get right What a Sudbury realtor has to get right The items that decide a realtor’s year-end — for a business operating in Sudbury, Ontario | Item | Why it matters | | Commission income | Taxed on the gross before splits and fees come out | | Personal real estate corporation | Permitted in Ontario since 2020; changes which return the income lands on | | HST on commissions | Taxable once registered; a PREC needs its own number | | Vehicle and home office | Claims rest on a log and on where the work really happens | | 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 Sudbury businesses: [fractional CFO work](https://www.everstonecpa.com/cfo-services-sudbury) and [year-end statements](https://www.everstonecpa.com/financial-statements-sudbury). Common questions ## Sudbury accounting for realtors and personal real estate corporations FAQ **Can Sudbury realtors incorporate?** Yes. Since 2020 Ontario has permitted salespersons and brokers to receive commission through a personal real estate corporation, subject to provincial conditions on ownership and control. The brokerage pays the corporation instead of you. [Ask about your case →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **Is a PREC worth it if I spend most of what I earn?** Usually not. The advantage comes from profit left in the corporation. If you draw nearly everything, the added T2 and bookkeeping can outweigh the deferral. **Do I need a new HST number when I incorporate?** Yes. The PREC is a separate person for HST and needs its own registration. Tell the brokerage which number to use from the first commission paid to the corporation. **How much of my car can I claim?** The business share of your driving, supported by a log. Driving from home to the brokerage and back is generally personal, while trips to showings and listings, including out to lake properties, are business. **Why was my April tax bill so large?** Usually because commission arrived gross, instalments were set from an earlier, smaller year, and HST collected was spent before it was filed. Setting aside tax and HST from each commission fixes all three. **Do you work with realtors outside Sudbury?** Yes. EverStone serves agents across BC, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba entirely online, including those in Valley East, Chelmsford, Lively, Garson and nearby Espanola. ## Related services and local guides The rest of what we do for Sudbury businesses, the Ontario reference pages, and the guides behind this one. [Accounting for realtors Commission income, PREC structures and the records an agent needs.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-for-realtors) [Principal residence and business use How a home office or rented space affects the principal residence exemption.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/principal-residence-exemption-business-use) [Vehicle and mileage deductions What the log needs to show and how the business share is worked out.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/vehicle-mileage-deductions-canada-business) [Accounting & CPA services in Sudbury The full small-business engagement for Sudbury companies](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-sudbury) [Corporate tax (T2) in Sudbury T2, Ontario rates and the registry annual return](https://www.everstonecpa.com/corporate-tax-accountant-sudbury) [Personal tax (T1) in Sudbury Owner returns, the Ontario surtax and health premium](https://www.everstonecpa.com/personal-tax-accountant-sudbury) [Bookkeeping in Sudbury Monthly books, HST coding and job costing](https://www.everstonecpa.com/bookkeeping-sudbury) [Payroll in Sudbury Source deductions, EHT, WSIB and T4 slips](https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-services-sudbury) [GST/HST filing in Sudbury 13% HST returns and input tax credits](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-filing-sudbury) [Financial statements in Sudbury Year-end compilations a lender can read](https://www.everstonecpa.com/financial-statements-sudbury) [Fractional CFO in Sudbury Cash flow, forecasting and contract margin](https://www.everstonecpa.com/cfo-services-sudbury) [Trades accountant in Sudbury Contractors, holdbacks, T5018 and WSIB](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trades-accountant-sudbury) [Accountant in Toronto The same remote CPA service, serving Toronto](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-toronto) [Accountant in Barrie The same remote CPA service, serving Barrie](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-barrie) [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) [Fixed monthly pricing Starting fees for each service, in public](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing) Fees are fixed and agreed in writing before the work starts; [the published fee page](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing) shows the starting points. ### What clients say Rated 5.0 on Google across 21 client reviews. [Read all reviews](https://www.everstonecpa.com/reviews) ★★★★★ “…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 ★★★★★ “…We switched to him last year for both our personal and small-business taxes — responsive, knowledgeable and quick.” Heather Powers Verified Google review ## Selling real estate in Sudbury? 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 accounting for realtors EverStone is a fully virtual CPA firm, serving Sudbury agents entirely online. **There is no Sudbury office and no local staff.** Meetings are held by video, documents come in through a secure upload link and are signed by e-signature, and no visit is required at any point. Commission statements, the PREC decision and your expense records are handled together, because in practice they are one decision. ## 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 --- Source: https://www.everstonecpa.com/realtor-accountant-sudbury Contact: info@everstonecpa.com · https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online