Trucking accountant in Edmonton

For a one-owner Edmonton trucking business, monthly bookkeeping, payroll and the year-end T2 with statements usually cost from $500 to $700 a month all-in.

For the national rules, see the trucking and logistics hub. Carriers running mostly south and to the US border can compare the Calgary trucking page.

A fleet with employee drivers

Many Edmonton carriers employ drivers, which shifts the work to payroll. Whether paid by the mile, load or hour, drivers need CPP, EI and income tax withheld and remitted on schedule, WCB-Alberta premiums, and correct codes for trip pay, layover pay and bonuses. Alberta, unlike BC or Ontario, has no provincial payroll tax.

Turnover in driving jobs is high, so records of employment and T4s pile up. The T4s are due by the last day of February. Late remittances bring penalties and can reach directors personally. The remittance calendar and payroll services in Edmonton cover the schedule.

Meals: the driver’s claim and the company’s

Meal rules depend on who is paying. An employed long-haul driver who pays for meals on eligible trips and is not reimbursed can claim them personally, on the forms the CRA sets for transport employees, generally at 80%. An owner-operator claims them on the business return at the same 80% for eligible long-haul trips. A carrier that pays a meal allowance has to decide whether it is reasonable and non-taxable or a taxable benefit, and run payroll to match. The logbook underpins all three. See the meal claims guide.

Units, financing and the equipment schedule

Fleets mix owned tractors, financed units and leased trailers. Owned or financed units go on the balance sheet under capital cost allowance, with loan interest deducted separately; a true operating lease is expensed as paid. Heavy tractors have their own class; trailers are tracked separately.

A unit written off after a winter accident brings insurance proceeds, which are treated as a disposal. A dealer trade brings a trade-in value. Both can create recapture when the proceeds exceed the class balance. Keep the finance contracts, insurance settlements and bills of sale in one place so the schedule can be rebuilt quickly.

The owner’s pickup is a separate question. If the company owns it and you drive it home, a standby charge and operating benefit may apply. If you own it and use it for the business, the claim rests on a kilometre log. The vehicle log page shows what to record.

Seasonal hauling and energy-driven freight

Northern work follows the ground. Some sites and lease roads are reachable only when frozen, and spring road bans limit weights on many secondary highways. Rig moves and plant turnarounds come in waves, so revenue can pile into a few months. Fuel, insurance, lease payments and wages keep running through the quiet ones.

Plan cash for the slow season during the busy one, and set corporate instalments against the year you expect rather than the year just filed. The corporate instalments guide explains the methods. A monthly cost per kilometre, split by lane or customer, shows which work is paying for the rest. See fractional CFO support in Edmonton.

IFTA, IRP and GST from an Alberta base

Alberta-plated trucks running into BC, Saskatchewan or the US report fuel tax quarterly through IFTA and apportion registration through IRP by distance; reconcile ELD distance to fuel cards first. Freight carries 5% GST and no provincial tax, recovered on costs through input tax credits. Incorporated carriers file the AT1 and T2. See GST filing in Edmonton.

Owner-operators leased onto an Edmonton fleet file differently. A sole proprietor reports the truck on their T1, due June 15 with any balance by April 30, and charges GST once registered. A corporation adds a T2 and AT1 but can defer tax on retained profit, provided you own or lease the equipment and carry the business risk. Compare incorporating versus staying a sole proprietor.

What EverStone handles for you

One firm, one fixed fee agreed up front:

• Driver payroll, WCB-Alberta and year-end slips
• Meal allowance policy and logbook support
• Unit, lease and financing schedules with CCA
• IFTA reconciliation and IRP records
• GST filings and input tax credits
• T2 and Alberta AT1 with year-end statements

Fixed fees, fully online

EverStone serves Edmonton carriers online by video, secure upload and e-signature, from the yard or the road. Bookkeeping starts from $325 a month with GST filing included; payroll and year-end are quoted as one fixed monthly fee. See what it costs.

Remote accounting for trucking

EverStone is a CPA firm, serving Edmonton owners entirely online. There is no Edmonton office and no local staff. Meetings are held by video or phone, documents come in through a secure upload link and are signed by e-signature, and no visit is required at any point. Logs, fuel-card statements, finance contracts and payroll records are handled from the files you already keep.