--- title: "Trades Accountant Vancouver | Strata, Renovations, T5018s" url: https://www.everstonecpa.com/trades-accountant-vancouver description: "CPA for Vancouver trades and renovators: strata and multi-unit contracts, substantial renovation GST questions, holdbacks and T5018s. Book remotely." type: service-in-a-city updated: 2026-10-08 summary: "Trades and renovation companies operating in Vancouver, British Columbia work mostly on existing buildings. That raises questions a new-build contractor never meets: who the contracting party is on a strata job, when a renovation becomes substantial for GST purposes, and how progress billings straddle a year-end. EverStone handles those remotely." 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/) [Trades accounting](https://www.everstonecpa.com/contractor-accountant) Vancouver Trades & construction · Vancouver # Trades accountant in *Vancouver* Vancouver trades work skews to renovation, strata and multi-unit rather than greenfield, and that changes the accounting questions: who the customer actually is, when GST attaches, and how a job spanning two fiscal years should be reported. EverStone is a [CPA for incorporated contractors](https://www.everstonecpa.com/contractor-accountant) and a [Vancouver small-business accountant](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-vancouver). [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online)[Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **Quick answer:** Trades and renovation companies operating in Vancouver, British Columbia work mostly on existing buildings. That raises questions a new-build contractor never meets: who the contracting party is on a strata job, when a renovation becomes substantial for GST purposes, and how progress billings straddle a year-end. EverStone handles those remotely. Published fees start at $325 a month for bookkeeping and $125 for a personal return. 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. On a strata job, three different parties can be involved. ## Knowing who the customer actually is On a strata building the party that signs, the party that pays and the party that benefits are frequently three different things. A repair authorized by a strata corporation, funded from a contingency reserve and performed inside an individual unit produces an invoice that has to name someone. Getting that wrong creates a receivable nobody accepts and a tax treatment that does not match the transaction. Rental and mixed-use buildings raise the same problem: a property manager instructs the work, but the owner is the contracting party. Settling who the contracting party is before mobilising decides who owes the money and how revenue is recorded. ## Renovation, and where GST gets complicated Most renovation is a straightforward taxable supply of services. The harder question is when work on residential property is extensive enough to change the tax character of the property. Federal law draws that line, and it matters for builders renovating to resell rather than for owner-occupiers. A trades company that only invoices homeowners for services rarely meets it. One that takes an interest in a property, or works for a developer, does. The line is fact-specific, so raise it before the deal is structured. ## Progress billings across a year-end Vancouver renovation contracts often run past a quarter or a fiscal year, so the year-end cut-off decides the tax bill. Work done but unbilled is earned revenue; amounts invoiced ahead of the work are not. GST is generally payable on the earlier of invoicing and payment, so a deposit can put remittable tax in your hands long before the revenue exists. Treat deposits as spendable cash and you create your own shortfall, usually in a bad quarter. ## Holdbacks in a lien province BC lien law holds back money on a project and releases it after a set period. Two effects follow. Receivables include amounts earned but not yet collectible, worth knowing before the next job. Holdbacks you retain from your subtrades are costs already incurred; leaving them out overstates the margin on that job. Multi-trade renovations run both at once, and only a schedule keeps them straight. The [construction holdbacks guide](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/construction-holdbacks-accounting-canada) goes deeper. ## Subtrade slips and classification on dense sites Renovating occupied buildings uses many specialized subtrades briefly, multiplying the parties paid for construction services, the [T5018](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/forms/t5018.html) reporting and the risk that someone is really an employee. Short engagements make records harder to rebuild, not classification less important. Separating subtrade labour from materials at entry beats any year-end effort. See [subcontractor or employee](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/subcontractor-vs-employee-cra). ## What is covered One Chartered Professional Accountant handles the whole file: - Contract and receivable structure on strata and managed-property work - Progress billing, deposit and year-end cut-off treatment - Holdback schedules on both the receivable and payable side - GST filing, reconciliation and input tax credit review - T5018 information returns and worker classification review - T2 corporate return and year-end financial statements ## Remote, and there is no Vancouver office EverStone works online, with no Vancouver office: video, e-signature and secure document exchange, which beats an hour of city driving. One CPA prepares the return and answers questions all year. For provincial context, see [construction accounting in BC](https://www.everstonecpa.com/construction-accounting-bc). 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 trades business has to get right What a trades business has to get right The items that decide a trades year-end — for a business operating in Vancouver, British Columbia | Item | Why it matters | | Subcontractor payments | Construction payers report subcontractor payments to the CRA on a T5018 | | Holdbacks | Amounts held back under a construction contract are recognized on their own timing, not when invoiced | | Tools and equipment | Larger purchases are capitalized and depreciated rather than expensed in full | | Vehicle use | A log separating business from personal kilometres is what supports the claim | | Sales tax where you operate | 5% GST plus 7% BC PST: two registrations, two returns | Source: [Construction and trades accounting](https://www.everstonecpa.com/construction-trades-accounting). General information, not advice. Other services for Vancouver businesses: [personal tax](https://www.everstonecpa.com/personal-tax-accountant-vancouver). Common questions ## Vancouver trades accounting FAQ **Who should a strata repair invoice be addressed to?** The actual contracting party, often not whoever let the crew in. Strata-authorized repairs paid from reserves differ from work an owner commissions inside a unit. Settle it before mobilising, or you risk a receivable nobody accepts. [Ask about your case →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **Does a large renovation change the GST position?** It can. Federal rules treat extensive residential work differently from ordinary repairs, mostly where a property is renovated for resale. The line is fact-specific, so raise it when structuring the deal, not at filing. **When is GST payable on a deposit?** Generally on the earlier of invoice and payment, which can put remittable tax in your hands before any work is done. Spending deposits as working capital leaves a shortfall at the next remittance; set the tax aside on receipt. **How should a job spanning two fiscal years be reported?** By work performed, not invoices issued: completed unbilled work is revenue; billing ahead of the work is not. On contracts running past year-end, the cut-off decides the tax result and deserves more attention than the return. **Do short subtrade engagements still trigger T5018 slips?** Yes. The obligation follows the business and the payment, not the length of the job. Occupied-building work uses many specialists briefly, multiplying the reporting and the chance someone is really an employee. **Is there an EverStone office in Vancouver?** No. Vancouver-area trades companies are served entirely remotely by video call, e-signature and secure upload, which avoids the travel time that a downtown or eastside meeting would otherwise cost on a working day. **What does an accountant cost for a Vancouver trades business?** Vancouver businesses pay the same published fees as everyone else. Monthly bookkeeping starts from $325 a month and a personal return from $125; 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 $225 + GST. Every fee is fixed in writing first. [See the published fees](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing). **Do you work with businesses outside Vancouver itself?** Yes. Trades businesses in Burnaby, Richmond, North Vancouver and the rest of Metro Vancouver are served the same way as those in Vancouver, remotely and at the same fixed fees. ## Related services and local guides Nearby cities, the rest of what we do for Vancouver businesses, and the reference pages behind this one. [Realtor accountant in Vancouver](https://www.everstonecpa.com/realtor-accountant-vancouver) [Financial statements for Vancouver companies with outside shareholders](https://www.everstonecpa.com/financial-statements-vancouver) [E-commerce accountant in Vancouver](https://www.everstonecpa.com/ecommerce-accountant-vancouver) [Fractional CFO support for Vancouver companies with investors](https://www.everstonecpa.com/cfo-services-vancouver) [Construction & trades accounting](https://www.everstonecpa.com/construction-trades-accounting) [Accounting & CPA services in Vancouver CPA services for Vancouver businesses](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-vancouver) [Bookkeeping in Vancouver](https://www.everstonecpa.com/bookkeeping-vancouver) [Corporate tax (T2) in Vancouver](https://www.everstonecpa.com/corporate-tax-accountant-vancouver) [GST/HST filing in Vancouver](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-filing-vancouver) [Payroll in Vancouver](https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-services-vancouver) [Accountants across British Columbia](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-british-columbia) [British Columbia tax facts](https://www.everstonecpa.com/bc-tax-facts) Fees are fixed in writing before work starts; see [the published fees](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing). ### Starting fees Every fee is fixed in writing before any work begins. - **Monthly bookkeeping, GST/PST 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/trades-accountant-vancouver Prices: https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing · Contact: info@everstonecpa.com · https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online