Plain-English tax & business guides for Canadian owners
No jargon, no fluff — practical advice on corporate tax, paying yourself, bookkeeping and running an incorporated business in Canada, written by a CPA and kept current for 2026.
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The questions business owners ask us most — answered properly.
Running an incorporated business in Canada means constant tax and money questions — when to register for GST/HST, how to pay yourself, whether to incorporate, what a return really costs, and how to stay onside with the CRA. These guides answer them in plain English, with 2026 figures and no jargon. They’re written by Sunny Dhillon, CPA for owner-managed small businesses and contractors — the same people we work with every day. Every article is educational, not a sales pitch: read it, apply it, and if you’d like a hand, a free consultation is always one click away. New guides are added regularly across tax, bookkeeping, advisory and deadlines.
Small business deduction & the $50K passive rule
The ~9% small-business rate, the $500K limit, and how too much passive investment income inside your corp quietly grinds it away.
Read the guide →DividendsEligible vs non-eligible dividends
The two dividend types, the gross-up and credit for each, and why most small-corp dividends are non-eligible.
Read the guide →PayrollT4, T4A & T5 slip deadlines
Who gets which slip, the end-of-February deadline, and what filing late actually costs.
Read the guide →DeductionsThe meals & entertainment 50% rule
Why business meals are only half-deductible, the exceptions that beat 50%, and the GST/HST angle.
Read the guide →GST/HSTGST/HST instalments for annual filers
The $3,000 threshold, the quarterly schedule most annual filers miss, and how to avoid instalment interest.
Read the guide →Owner payPaying your spouse a salary: the rules
When a family wage is deductible — CRA’s reasonableness test, payroll mechanics, and where TOSI fits.
Read the guide →Year-endYear-end bonus or dividend?
The 180-day bonus rule, RRSP room, CPP and when bonusing down to the small-business limit still makes sense.
Read the guide →CRACan’t pay your CRA bill?
Payment arrangements, how interest really works, trust-amount director liability, and taxpayer relief.
Read the guide →IncorporationDissolving a corporation, cleanly
The order of operations to close a corporation — final T2, closing CRA accounts, and the clearance certificate.
Read the guide →ContractorsEmployee or contractor? CRA’s test
The four factors CRA weighs, what misclassification costs the payer, and how it differs from PSB risk.
Read the guide →ConstructionT5018s: reporting your subcontractors
Who has to file, what counts as construction activity, and why CRA cross-matches every slip.
Read the guide →SellingThe lifetime capital gains exemption
Selling your company tax-free is possible — if your shares qualify. The three tests, and why planning starts years early.
Read the guide →VehiclesCompany car: the taxable-benefit trap
Standby charge and operating benefit explained — and when a company car beats a per-km allowance.
Read the guide →CRASetting up CRA My Business Account
Registration, your program accounts, and authorizing your accountant — step by step.
Read the guide →ComplianceFixing past returns: the VDP
Unfiled returns or unreported income? How CRA’s Voluntary Disclosures Program works and who qualifies.
Read the guide →ContractorsPersonal Services Business (PSB) risk
The CRA test that can strip your small business deduction — and why single-client incorporated contractors are most exposed.
Read the guide →Tax planningTOSI: paying dividends to family
Why “just put my spouse on the shares” stopped being safe advice, and which exceptions still work.
Read the guide →DeductionsCapital cost allowance (CCA) explained
The half-year rule, the classes that matter for small business, and what recapture means when you sell.
Read the guide →StructureHolding companies: when they make sense
Creditor-proofing, inter-corporate dividends and estate planning — plus when a holdco simply isn’t worth the cost.
Read the guide →PayrollPayroll remittances and your CRA RP account
Opening an RP account, what gets withheld, and why unremitted source deductions carry personal director liability.
Read the guide →Tax planningAssociated corporations & the SBD
Running two companies doesn’t double your $500,000 limit. How owners accidentally trigger association.
Read the guide →Paying yourselfCPP for incorporated owners
Salary builds CPP and costs you both halves; dividends build none. How that changes the salary-vs-dividend call.
Read the guide →GST/HSTInput tax credits (ITCs): claiming GST/HST back
What qualifies, the records CRA expects, and the common mistakes that get ITC claims denied.
Read the guide →GST/HSTZero-rated vs exempt supplies
Both mean no GST charged — but only one lets you claim ITCs. Getting it wrong costs real money.
Read the guide →BenefitsHealth Spending Accounts for owners
Turning personal medical costs into a deductible business expense — and the conditions that have to hold.
Read the guide →ComplianceHow long to keep business records
The six-year rule, what has to be kept permanently, and what happens when you close the business.
Read the guide →IncorporationChoosing your corporate year-end
You get one free choice in the first 53 weeks. How to pick it, and why changing it later needs CRA approval.
Read the guide →Tax planningShould you leave money in your corporation?
When to retain earnings for tax deferral vs pay yourself out — and the passive-income trap of investing inside the corp.
Read the guide →DeductionsHome-office expenses for incorporated owners
Reimbursement vs employment expenses, what's actually claimable, and the CCA trap that can cost you at sale time.
Read the guide →DeductionsVehicle & mileage deductions for business
Logbook rules, owned vs leased, and the 2026 per-kilometre rates — how to claim your vehicle without CRA trouble.
Read the guide →Tax planningShareholder loans: taking money out of your corp
The four ways to pull cash from your corporation, the one-year repayment rule, and the trap that turns a loan into taxable income.
Read the guide →GST/HSTThe GST/HST Quick Method: can it save you money?
How the Quick Method works, who qualifies, and a worked example showing when it puts real money back in your pocket.
Read the guide →IncorporationI just incorporated — now what?
The setup checklist for a brand-new corporation: CRA accounts, banking, year-end, GST, payroll and your first T2 deadline.
Read the guide →Corporate taxCorporate tax installments: when & how much
Who has to pay installments, monthly vs quarterly, the three calculation methods, and how to avoid CRA interest.
Read the guide → PricingHow much does a virtual accountant cost in Canada?
Honest 2026 fixed-fee ranges for corporate tax, bookkeeping and personal tax — and what really drives the price.
Read the guide → SwitchingHow to switch accountants without the hassle
It's easier than you think. The 5-step process, who does what, and why you won't lose your tax history.
Read the guide → Owner paySalary vs dividends: how to pay yourself
RRSP room, CPP, tax integration and the blended approach most incorporated owners use in 2026.
Read the guide → Cross-CanadaCan an out-of-province CPA file my corporate taxes?
Yes — your filings are federal. How it works, and the two provinces (Quebec, Alberta) with their own returns.
Read the guide → PricingHow much does an accountant cost in BC?
Real 2026 fee ranges for T2, T1, bookkeeping and monthly packages — and fixed-fee vs hourly explained.
Read the guide → DeadlinesT2 deadlines & late-filing penalties
The two deadlines, the penalty math with a worked example, and instalments.
Read the guide → AdvisoryIncorporate or stay a sole proprietor in BC?
Tax deferral, the small business deduction, liability and cost — and when it's worth it.
Read the guide → TaxGST/HST registration for small business
The $30k threshold, voluntary registration, input tax credits and filing frequency.
Read the guide → TaxYear-end tax checklist for incorporated owners
Remuneration, shareholder loans, bonuses and capital timing — before your year-end.
Read the guide → Bookkeeping7 bookkeeping mistakes that cost you money
Mixing accounts, missing receipts, skipped reconciliations — and how to fix each.
Read the guide → AdvisoryWhat is a fractional CFO?
Senior financial leadership part-time — what it does, what it costs, and when you need one.
Read the guide → TaxCRA audit triggers for small business
What flags a return — and how to stay audit-ready without avoiding legitimate deductions.
Read the guide → DeadlinesCanadian tax deadlines 2026
Every T2, T1, GST/HST and payroll due date for the year in one plain-English calendar.
See the calendar → CalculatorSalary vs dividends calculator
Model your own mix and see the tax impact instantly — free, no sign-up.
Try the tool → ToolsAll free tools & guides
Calculators and downloads to help you plan tax, incorporation and owner pay.
Browse all →Have a question these guides didn't answer?
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