A free second opinion on last year’s corporate return

What we actually look at

This is a real review, not a sales call with a form attached. We read the return and the statements side by side and check the things that most often get missed on an owner-managed file:

• Remuneration mix. Whether the salary and dividend split matched what the year actually earned, and what it did to your RRSP room and CPP.
• Small business deduction. Whether passive investment income ground it down, and whether associated corporations were handled correctly.
• Shareholder loan balances. The single most common source of an unwelcome reassessment on a small corporation.
• Capital cost allowance. Whether assets landed in the right classes and whether available claims were taken.
• Home office, vehicle and meals. Whether they were claimed through the corporation correctly, or claimed personally when they should not have been.
• GST/HST reconciliation. Whether what was filed agrees with what the statements say.
• Statement presentation. Whether the engagement level matches what your bank or bonding company actually needs.

If something looks wrong, we say so plainly and explain why. If nothing looks wrong, we say that too — and you have a free confirmation that your current arrangement is sound.

What you get back

A written one-page summary, in plain English, within five business days of receiving your documents. It sets out what we reviewed, anything we would have handled differently, and what — if anything — is worth acting on before your next year end. You keep it whether or not you ever speak to us again.

What it costs

Nothing. There is no fee for the review and no obligation attached to it. We do this because it is the most honest way to show how we work: you see our actual thinking on your actual numbers before you decide anything.

Who this is for

Incorporated business owners in British Columbia and across Canada with at least one full year filed. It is most useful if your business has grown or changed since your current arrangement started, if you have never had your return reviewed by anyone else, or if you have a decision coming — a property purchase, a bonus, bringing in a partner — and want to know the ground is solid first.

It is not useful if you have not yet filed a first corporate year. In that case a free consult is the better starting point.

How it works

1. Request it — book a 30-minute call or call (604) 832-1743. We confirm what to send.
2. Send two documents — last year’s T2 and the financial statements that went with it, by secure upload. Nothing else is needed to start.
3. We review — and come back within five business days with the written summary.
4. You decide — act on it yourself, take it to your current accountant, or talk to us. All three are fine.

Everything runs remotely, by video call and secure upload. EverStone CPA is based in Abbotsford and works with incorporated owners across the Fraser Valley and Canada — nothing here requires you to drive anywhere.

Questions owners ask