Process
Scope first. Then a calendar. Then the work.
You will know what is being done, by whom and by when before anything is billed. If the scope changes, that is a conversation, not a line on an invoice. This page sets out the four stages of an engagement and what each side provides.
Discovery
A thirty-minute call about the business, the state of the records and anything overdue.
The first conversation is about fit. What the business does, roughly how many staff, what system the books are kept in, when the last set of statements was prepared, and whether anything is overdue: filings, returns, remittances.
It is enough to know whether this is work for the practice. If it is not, you will get that answer plainly, and a referral where one helps.
You provide
- Thirty minutes
- A rough picture of the business and its records
- Anything that is keeping you up at night
You receive
- A straight answer on fit
- An outline of what the work would involve
- A referral if the work belongs elsewhere
Onboarding
Read-only access to the books, a written engagement letter, and a filing calendar for the year ahead.
Before quoting, we look at the actual books, in read-only access, so the scope is sized honestly rather than guessed at. Then the engagement letter: deliverables, deadlines and fee, in writing, signed by both sides before anything is billed.
Onboarding itself is a checklist. CRA authorisation, bank feeds, payroll access, prior-year files from the previous accountant, and a calendar of every filing date for the coming twelve months.
You provide
- Read-only access to the accounting system and bank
- Prior-year returns and statements
- CRA authorisation for the firm
You receive
- A signed engagement letter
- A compliance and reporting calendar
- A single point of contact
Ongoing work
The close runs on the agreed dates. Returns go in early. Questions are answered by whoever prepared the numbers, usually the same day.
Each month follows the calendar. Transactions are recorded, accounts are reconciled, the close is completed by the agreed date and the reporting pack is sent. Payroll and remittances run on their own fixed schedule regardless of what else is happening.
Questions are answered by the person who prepared the numbers, usually the same day. If something unexpected appears in the books, you hear about it before the month-end pack, not in it.
You provide
- Receipts, invoices and approvals through the agreed channel
- Answers to queries within a few days
- Notice of anything unusual: a new hire, a loan, a large purchase
You receive
- Monthly financial statements and commentary on a fixed date
- Filings confirmed as they go in
- A response to any question within one business day
Annual review
The year so far, the tax position, and what changes for the next twelve months.
In the autumn, while there is still time to act, we review the year to date and the tax position for the corporation and its owners. Compensation, timing of purchases, the small business deduction and anything else that has to be decided before December 31.
The same meeting resets the engagement: what worked, what should change, whether the scope still fits the business. The next year's calendar is agreed there.
You provide
- An hour or two in October or November
- Plans for the coming year: hires, purchases, financing, expansion
You receive
- A written year-end planning note
- Next year's compliance and reporting calendar
- Any changes to scope agreed in writing
Fees are fixed in the engagement letter.
Ongoing work is a monthly fee. Projects are quoted as a whole. Seasonal work is priced per return or per file. Hourly billing is the exception, and it is agreed in advance when it applies.
Ongoing
Monthly retainer
A standing monthly commitment. The close runs on a fixed calendar, the reporting pack lands on the same date every month, and filings are met without a reminder. Most bookkeeping, controllership and payroll engagements work this way.
Project
Fixed scope, fixed end date
A system implementation, a set of books brought current, a controls review, a due diligence package. Scoped and priced as a whole, with a defined finish.
Seasonal
Year-end and filing
The annual file assembled and reconciled, returns prepared, and the schedules your external accountant asks for delivered before they ask. Also the right fit for a personal tax return each spring.
The first step is a thirty-minute call.
Describe the business and the state of the records. You will hear whether it is a fit, roughly what the work involves, and where else to go if it is not.
Or call (647) 887-6942. Replies within one business day.