Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
Hiring a tax accountant in Hamilton starts with a few checks you can finish in an evening, before you hand over your slips. We have no connection with any firm, and we haven’t confirmed the services, fees or credentials of any accountant, so this page shows how to vet one yourself.
What should you check before hiring a Hamilton accountant?
Start with the CRA’s own questions for a paid preparer. Are you certified for EFILE? What are your fees? Will you give me a copy of my completed return? Do you need authorization to see my CRA information? Those four cover most of the risk.
The CRA runs a directory of certified EFILE providers that you can search by postal code, which is a fair place to confirm a firm exists. Fees you’ll have to ask about, because we found no official price list for accounting work and we won’t guess one. Get the number in writing before any work starts, and ask who will actually prepare and sign the return, since the person at the front desk isn’t always the one doing it.
Who is responsible for the return?
You are. The preparer works from what you give them, and you sign the declaration that lets them send it in. If something is wrong, the CRA comes to you.
That’s why the CRA says never to sign a blank form. Read the T183 before you sign Part F, since what it says has to match the return that gets filed. Ask for a copy of the return, and keep the T183 and your receipts for at least six years.
Keep all your tax slips, receipts, and the completed Form T183 for at least 6 years.
Using a professional tax preparer, Canada Revenue Agency, canada.ca
How do you give an accountant access to your CRA account?
Through Represent a Client. Your accountant sends a request, and you confirm it in My Account or My Business Account. You choose the access level and can change or cancel it whenever you like.
Access lasts until you or the accountant cancels it, or until the expiry date you set. Put a date on it if you only need help for one filing season.
Is a refund advance worth it?
Usually not, and the CRA has rules about it. A discounter is a firm that pays you a refund early and keeps a fee. It must pay you at least 85 cents on each dollar of the first $300 of your estimated refund, and 95 cents on each dollar after that.
| Estimated refund | Minimum you must be paid | Most the firm can keep |
|---|---|---|
| $300 | $255 | $45 |
| $1,000 | $920 | $80 |
| $2,000 | $1,870 | $130 |
A discounter also has to give you a completed and signed Form RC71, which spells out the amounts, so read it before you sign. A refund filed electronically is usually processed within about two weeks, according to the CRA. So the wait you’d be paying to skip is short.
What does a Hamilton return look like in numbers?
Hamilton is in Ontario, so Ontario rates apply. On $85,000 of employment income, the income tax calculator shows $15,551.05 in federal and Ontario tax, plus $5,769.52 for CPP and EI. That leaves $63,679.43.
Run your own figures first. If an accountant’s estimate of your refund is far above what the tax refund calculator gives, ask them to show the claims that explain it. The CRA warns against preparers who promise unusually large refunds or offer false claims for donations, child care or business expenses. Real claims have receipts.
Business owners have a second question, which is whether to pay someone at all. A sole proprietor on $40,000 of net income owes $8,564.63 in income tax and CPP, shown in the self-employed tax calculator. If your books are tidy, a preparer may only need to check them.
What are the warning signs of a bad preparer?
A few are easy to spot. The fee is a cut of your refund. They won’t sign the return or give you a copy. They ask you to sign something blank, or they tell you to claim things you can’t back up. Say Priya in Stoney Creek is promised an extra $2,000 for “donations” she never made. That isn’t a bonus. It’s a reassessment waiting to happen, with the bill landing on her, not the preparer.
If your gut says something is off, walk out. Tax time is stressful enough without a few extra bucks of regret.
Our sources
The preparer guidance comes from the Canada Revenue Agency‘s pages on using a professional tax preparer, on discounters and on authorizing a representative. Tax figures use the 2026 federal and Ontario rates, which we checked in September 2026. We have no connection with any accounting firm, the CRA or any government body.
Frequently asked questions
Can you tell me what a Hamilton accountant charges?
No. We haven't confirmed fees, services or credentials for any firm, so ask the accountant directly and get the price in writing.
What does the CRA say to ask a tax preparer?
It suggests asking whether they're certified for EFILE, what their fees are, whether you'll get a copy of your return and whether they need authorization to see your CRA information.
Who is responsible if the return has an error?
You are. The preparer prepares it from your information, and you authorize the filing by signing.
Should I take a refund advance?
Only after checking the cost. A discounter must pay at least 85 cents per dollar of the first $300 and 95 cents per dollar after that, and electronic refunds usually arrive in about two weeks.
- How Canadian income tax works: brackets and credits
How federal and provincial Canadian income tax stack up, what marginal and average rates mean, and how credits and deductions change your bill
- Ontario income tax and sales tax in 2026
How Ontario income tax works in 2026: the five brackets, the surtax and health premium, the 13% HST, and the calculators that switch to Ontario