Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
Before you hire any firm for tax and accounting services, check two things: who will actually sign and file your return, and whether they can be looked up with a professional body or on the CRA’s EFILE list. If neither check works, walk away. A name like “Loyal Tax & Accounting Services” tells you nothing on its own.
We assumed that name belongs to a small Canadian firm and we couldn’t confirm anything about it. So this page makes no claim about that firm, its prices or its results. It covers how to size up any firm, using what the CRA and the accounting bodies say.
What do tax and accounting services cover?
Two jobs get lumped together. Tax preparation means filling in and filing a return, usually once a year. Accounting is ongoing: bookkeeping, payroll, GST/HST filings, year-end statements and corporate returns.
A salaried employee with a simple return needs the first, and might do fine with software. A sole proprietor or a corporation needs both, and mistakes compound. Decide which you’re buying before you ask for a quote.
| Check | Where to do it | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| CPA designation | Provincial CPA body’s public directory | Whether the person is a member in good standing |
| EFILE certification | CRA’s EFILE directory (search by postal code) | Whether the preparer is certified to file returns electronically |
| Authorization | CRA Represent a Client | That you control what they can see |
| Your copy of the return | Form T183 and the return itself | That what was filed matches what you approved |
How do you check a tax and accounting firm?
Start with the title. The CPA designation is granted by a provincial regulator, and those bodies publish directories. CPA Ontario’s, for example, covers members, firms and licences, and lists members in good standing. A member whose membership is suspended can’t use the designation. Not everyone who prepares returns is a CPA, and that’s fine for a simple return, but ask what the person is and who regulates them.
Then check the filing side. The CRA says its page on using a professional tax preparer links a directory of preparers certified to use EFILE, searchable by postal code. The page doesn’t say who signs a return that someone else prepared, so ask the question yourself.
So ask it straight: will you sign the return, and will it go out under your name and number?
What should you ask before you hand over documents?
Ask for a written fee before any work starts. We couldn’t confirm typical fees, and the CRA’s own page on using a preparer gives no fee guidance, so don’t accept a vague “it depends”. Ask what’s included: amendments, answers if the CRA writes to you, and year-round questions.
The CRA describes one more kind of service, the discounter.
they will calculate your expected tax refund and give you one up-front payment before filing your return.
Using a professional tax preparer, canada.ca
If a firm offers that, ask what it costs you and who’s owed the refund.
Ask how they get into your CRA account. Since 15 July 2025, preparers can’t request authorization for individual clients through EFILE. It now goes through Represent a Client, which gives access without the old five-day wait. You approve it, and you can see who you’ve approved. Never share your CRA login or your password.
What does a good first meeting look like?
Bring last year’s notice of assessment and this year’s slips, and tell the person plainly what changed in your life: a move, a new job, a baby, a side hustle. A good preparer asks follow-up questions instead of just keying in numbers. If you leave without knowing who does the work, what it costs and when you’ll see the finished return, the meeting didn’t do its job. Take your time. It’s your name on the return, eh.
A quick test with your own numbers
Before the meeting, estimate your own result. Say you have $60,000 of taxable income in Ontario. On basic credits only, federal and Ontario tax comes to about $9,417. Our income tax calculator gives you that in seconds. Real returns differ with credits and deductions, but if a preparer’s figure lands far from yours, ask them to explain why.
Self-employed? The self-employed tax calculator will show the rough size of your bill. It applies deductions to income tax but not to CPP, and it leaves out EI, so treat it as a first pass. Running a corporation? The corporate tax calculator and the payroll remittance calculator give you the questions to ask about year-end and remittances.
What if the answers you get are vague?
Treat that as information. A firm that can’t tell you who prepares your return, who signs it or how it charges is telling you how the rest of the relationship will go. Ask the same questions of two or three firms and compare the answers side by side, since the plainest answer is usually the one that comes from the firm that has done this many times. It costs you an afternoon, and it can save you a headache at tax time.
Mistakes and limits
Judging a firm by its name. Words like “loyal” or “trusted” are free to print.
Signing a blank form. The CRA says you must review the prepared return and the completed T183 before you authorize anything. Part F, the declaration and authorization, is yours to sign.
Throwing the paper away. Keep your slips, receipts and T183 for at least six years, per the CRA.
Expecting the firm to be liable for your facts. The CRA says you provide accurate income and expense information, and that stays true when someone else types it in.
Finally, a review can land even on a perfectly filed return. Know which person to call, and ask if a CPA will represent you with the CRA, or only answer by email.
Where this information comes from
Preparer rules come from the Canada Revenue Agency‘s pages on using a professional tax preparer and on Represent a Client (2025 and 2026 notices), and from the public directory pages of CPA Ontario and CPA Canada. The $9,417 example is our calculation for 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check that a tax preparer is legitimate?
Look for a CPA in your provincial body's public directory, or find the preparer in the CRA's EFILE directory by postal code. Ask who signs the return.
What is Represent a Client?
It's the CRA service where you authorize a representative to see your account. Since 15 July 2025, preparers can no longer request access for individuals through EFILE.
What do I sign when a preparer files my return?
You review the return and Form T183, then sign Part F, the declaration and authorization. Keep the T183 for at least six years.
Does a tax firm's name tell me anything?
No. Check the firm's credentials and who will file, and get the fee in writing. We couldn't confirm anything about any particular firm, including one called Loyal Tax & Accounting Services.
Do I need an accountant or just tax software?
A simple employment return may be fine with software. Self-employment, a corporation or payroll usually means you need ongoing accounting help.
- How to choose a tax preparer in Canada
How to decide if you need a tax preparer, what a preparer does, the questions to ask before you hire one and where to find free help in Canada