The decisions that affect this year's filings are made during the year
A predictable year-end starts with consistent bookkeeping, timely compliance and the right decisions made while options are still open. This page explains how those parts of your engagement work together.
One working document for the whole year
Every engagement is built around a single working document: the Compliance Roadmap.
The Roadmap coordinates monthly bookkeeping, GST/HST and QST compliance, payroll where applicable, corporate and personal tax returns, filing deadlines, important tax decisions and responsibilities.
Rather than reacting to deadlines as they arise, both you and your accountant work from the same Roadmap throughout the year.
It is reviewed regularly and updated whenever your business changes.
Everything that needs to stay coordinated
From introduction to ongoing engagement
We discuss your business, your current accounting and tax situation, and whether this is the right fit to work together.
Based on the review, we prepare your Compliance Roadmap, define the scope of work, identify any cleanup required, and issue the engagement letter.
CRA and Revenu Québec representative authorization is put in place, along with read-only access to QuickBooks Online and, where supported, your bank feeds.
Monthly bookkeeping, GST/HST filings, payroll where applicable, year-end tax returns and ongoing advisory are delivered against the Compliance Roadmap throughout the year.
How the Roadmap stays accurate through the year
Most accountants spend the year asking clients for documents. We try to reduce those requests wherever secure representative or read-only access already exists.
That allows us to monitor your compliance directly while keeping the Compliance Roadmap current throughout the year.
Representative access reduces routine document requests. We will still contact you whenever business decisions or supporting documents are needed.
For the optional complimentary review, you share documents through a private Microsoft SharePoint folder. Authorized Access is arranged separately if you proceed with an ongoing engagement.
Read-only means read-only: none of this lets us move money, issue payments, or file anything on your behalf without your sign-off. Authorization can be cancelled by you at any time, directly through CRA or Revenu Québec, independent of anything on our end.
Less paperwork. More meaningful conversations.
Routine compliance is monitored throughout the year. Our conversations focus on decisions, planning and changes in your business, not chasing documents before filing deadlines.
This is not the right fit for everyone
We are direct about this because the engagement model is fixed. Knowing where we do not fit saves time on both sides.
You only want a tax return prepared once a year.
You prefer managing CRA or Revenu Québec correspondence yourself.
You are looking for occasional tax questions rather than an ongoing professional relationship.
You are looking for filing work without an initial review.
Not willing to grant CRA and Revenu Québec representative authorization, or read-only access to QuickBooks Online and bank feeds, is not compatible with this model.
The Compliance Roadmap and Authorized Access
What happens if the Compliance Roadmap needs to change partway through the year?
It gets revised. A new contract, a change in client mix, or an unexpected event can shift the filing dates, responsibilities or decisions in the Roadmap, and it is updated to reflect that rather than waiting for the next scheduled review.
Is cleanup work quoted separately from the engagement?
Yes. The engagement scope assumes the books are in reasonable shape. If the Initial Review finds cleanup work is needed first, that is identified and quoted on its own.
What does representative authorization actually give you access to?
Filing status, notices, account balances, and correspondence on file with CRA and Revenu Québec, at a level of access you set when the authorization is granted. It does not give us the ability to move funds or make changes on your behalf beyond what you have authorized.
Can I cancel Authorized Access?
Yes, at any time, directly through CRA or Revenu Québec, without going through us. Read-only access to QuickBooks Online and bank feeds can also be revoked on your end whenever you choose.
What does read-only actually mean for QuickBooks and bank feeds?
We can see transactions, balances, and reports. We cannot enter transactions, move money, or change settings. Any bookkeeping work we do happens on our own working files, not inside your live account.
If this way of working suits you, we are likely a good fit
Send a brief description of your situation and book a 15-minute introduction.