Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
To choose an accountant in Canada, start by checking who they are, then ask what work you actually need done. A CPA is licensed and regulated by a provincial body, and those bodies publish directories so you can verify a name in a few minutes. The rest is fit, and fit comes from a short conversation.
What should you check before the first meeting?
Look the person up. Provincial CPA bodies run public directories of members and firms. CPA Ontario, for example, publishes lists that let anyone confirm a member or a licensee. Other provinces have their own. If someone calls themselves an accountant, that alone doesn’t tell you much. A directory entry does.
Then find out what licence covers the work. Public accounting, such as audits and reviews of financial statements, sits under a licence granted by the provincial body. In Ontario, for instance, a CPA designation alone doesn’t let someone sign an audit or review report, which takes a public accounting licence on top. Preparing a tax return or keeping the books is a different kind of job, and many capable people do it without that licence. Ask the provincial body who needs what before you assume.
Which questions are worth asking?
Ask what they’d do for someone like you. A freelancer with $80,000 of income and a corporation with three employees need very different help. If the answer is vague, move on.
| Ask about | Why it matters | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| Licence and membership | Confirms who regulates them | Provincial CPA directory |
| Clients like you | Sole proprietor, corporation and payroll work differ | Ask what share of their work looks like yours |
| Who does the work | The partner you meet may not prepare your file | Ask by name |
| Deadlines | Late filings cost you money | Ask for dates in writing |
| Fee basis | Fixed, hourly or monthly | Get it in an engagement letter |
| Access to your records | They’re yours, not theirs | Ask how you get a full copy |
No fee amounts are listed here, because they differ a lot by city and by job. Get two or three quotes for the same scope and compare like with like. A fee that’s a ballpark guess over the phone should become a number on paper before any work starts.
What are the deadlines they should be managing?
Ask them to name yours before you sign. A corporation has to file its T2 return within six months of its year end. With a December 31 year end, that’s June 30. Miss it and there are penalties on top of any tax owing, so a good accountant treats the date as theirs, not yours.
The CRA also publishes a yearly list of deadlines for businesses and the self-employed, which is a fair test. Ask a prospective accountant which of them apply to you. Someone who has to look up a basic date isn’t a good sign.
What does good advice look like in numbers?
You can test an accountant with a figure you already know. Say a corporation earns $300,000 of active business income in Ontario. The corporate tax calculator shows $35,088 of tax for a calendar 2026 year, 11.7% overall. If an accountant quotes something very different, ask them to show the rate and the year they used. There can be good reasons, such as a different year end or shared small business limits with related companies, and a good one will explain them.
Payroll is another test. One employee paid $2,000 a month means $391.82 to remit each month, according to the payroll remittance calculator. Your accountant or bookkeeper should be able to show you how they reach that number and where it sits in your records.
If you’re a sole proprietor, the self-employed tax calculator gives you a rough idea of tax and CPP on your net income before you talk to anyone. It leaves out GST/HST and EI, so don’t use it as a final answer.
What should you bring to the first meeting?
Take last year’s return and notice of assessment, your bank and card statements, and any slips or invoices from the year. Add a one-page list of what’s changed: a new vehicle, a new employee, a move, a big sale. Someone who sees a clean folder and a short list of changes can give you a real quote instead of a guess.
How do you know it’s a good fit?
Notice how they answer a plain question. Ask, “What would you want me to do differently next year?” A good accountant gives you two or three specific things, like keeping mileage logs or separating the personal card. A weak one says everything looks fine. Also notice how fast they reply during the sales call. If they take a week to answer before you’ve paid anything, expect the same in March.
Mistakes people make when hiring
Picking on price alone is the usual one. A cheaper quote for a smaller scope isn’t cheaper.
Handing over everything without asking for a copy is another. The CRA is blunt about who carries the can.
You are responsible for making sure adequate records are kept even if a bookkeeper, accountant, Internet transaction manager, or application service provider keeps your business records for you.
Keeping Records, canada.ca
It also expects you to keep them six years. If the relationship ends badly, you want your files.
And waiting until you’re in trouble. It’s easier to hire before a letter from the CRA arrives than after. A short first call costs little, and within ten minutes you’ll know whether they explain things in plain words or hide behind jargon, which tells you more about the next five years than any brochure could.
Where this information comes from
Record-keeping rules and the six-year period come from the Canada Revenue Agency‘s guide to keeping records. The T2 deadline is from the CRA’s guidance on filing a corporation return. Directory and licence information comes from CPA Ontario. Tax figures are from the calculators on this site, using 2026 data. This is an independent guide, and it doesn’t recommend any firm.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check that an accountant is a CPA?
Search the public directory of the provincial CPA body where they practise. CPA Ontario publishes member, firm and licensee directories.
What should I ask in a first meeting?
Ask about clients like you, who prepares the file, the deadlines they manage and how fees are set. Get the answers in writing.
Do I need an accountant or just a bookkeeper?
A bookkeeper records transactions. An accountant prepares returns and advises. Small sole proprietors sometimes need only one of them.
What is the deadline for a corporation's tax return?
Six months after the end of its tax year, so June 30 for a December 31 year end.
Can I get my records back if I change accountants?
They're your records, and you're responsible for keeping them for six years. Ask how you get a full copy before you sign.
- How to choose a tax preparer in Canada
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