Small business and self-employed tax preparer

Sole proprietors, tradespeople, freelancers, landlords and small corporations that want to avoid doing their own filing.

Fixed fees per return or filing, plus ongoing monthly or quarterly packages for clients who need regular GST/HST filings or bookkeeping support.

• Understanding of self-employment and small business tax
• Familiarity with accounting software
• Organised, with firm deadlines
• Explaining tax in plain language

• Protected titles like CPA are regulated, so check your provincial regulator before describing your services or yourself
• Check errors and omissions insurance, as business returns carry higher risk than simple personal ones
• Deadlines for GST/HST and corporate filings vary, so build a reliable calendar for each client
• Check what advice you can give within your qualifications and when to refer clients to an accountant
• Secure storage of client financial data is essential, so check privacy requirements in your province

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on your accounting and tax software, equipment, insurance and secure client data storage. Business returns carry higher risk than simple personal ones, so check errors and omissions insurance.

Things to check include that protected titles like CPA are regulated by your provincial regulator, what advice you can give within your qualifications, errors and omissions insurance, and privacy requirements in your province for storing client financial data.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on your client numbers and the type of filings you handle. The minimum time is about 15 hours a week. Filing deadlines for GST/HST and corporate returns vary by client.