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To communicate with your accountant well, send information early, in one place, with a plain note on what changed and what you want decided. Most accountant problems start with a missing fact, not a wrong answer. A five line email with the right attachments beats a long call where half the paperwork turns up afterwards.
Nobody teaches this, and it shows. Owners often assume the accountant will ask. Accountants often assume the client will volunteer. Meanwhile a deadline goes by.
What should I tell my accountant without being asked?
Anything that changes your tax picture. A new job, quitting a job, starting a side business, moving provinces, buying or selling property, getting married or separated, or a big one-off payment in either direction. If you’re unsure whether it counts, it probably does.
Here’s why it matters. Say you earn $70,000 from a job in Ontario and add $15,000 of side income. The income tax calculator puts your federal and Ontario tax at $11,134 before the side income and $15,386 after. So the extra $15,000 costs $4,252 in income tax, about 28 cents on the dollar, and that’s before the CPP on self-employment earnings.
Your accountant can plan for that in September. If they find out in April, all they can do is calculate.
Use the self-employed tax calculator to see the CPP piece. It leaves out EI, GST/HST and business expenses, so it’s a rough guide only.
| What to send | How to send it | When |
|---|---|---|
| Tax slips (T4 and others) | One folder, files named by slip and year | As they arrive |
| Last year’s return and assessment | Once, at the start | Before the first meeting |
| Receipts for claims | Photos are fine if they’re readable | Monthly for a business |
| Life changes | A short written note | When it happens |
| Questions | A numbered list in one email | Before each meeting |
How do I ask questions that get useful answers?
Give the number and the decision. “Should I put $5,000 into my RRSP or pay down the line of credit?” gets a real answer. “Any tax tips?” gets a shrug.
Put questions in writing, numbered, and one topic each. A numbered list lets the accountant answer in order, and it leaves you with a record. If you talk by phone, send a two line summary afterwards: “We agreed I’d send the December statements by the 15th and you’d confirm the instalment amount.”
Ask why, too. When the answer is “because the rule says so”, ask which rule. A good accountant can point you to the form or the CRA page. If they can’t, that’s worth noting.
And if you don’t follow something, say so. Nobody’s impressed by silent confusion, least of all the person who’ll be signing your return. Our list of questions for a bookkeeper works nearly as well for an accountant.
How fast should they answer?
We couldn’t confirm any standard reply time, and it varies by firm and by season. So ask at the start: how do you like to be contacted, how long do replies usually take, and who covers when you’re away? Put the answer in your notes.
Then help them keep to it. Send documents before the deadline crunch, not during it. Payroll and sales tax dates don’t move for anyone’s workload. T4 slips are due the last day of February, and the CRA’s 2026 dates for a business include instalments on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15. The tax instalments calculator can show what a $6,000 expected bill looks like as four payments of $1,500.
What communication mistakes cost people money?
Holding back a bad number is the worst. Unreported income, a missed remittance or a personal expense in the books doesn’t shrink with time.
Sending everything at the last minute is next. You pay in stress, and possibly in a rushed job.
Then there’s assuming. The 2025 return date was April 30, 2026 for most people, with June 15, 2026 for the self-employed, and tax owing was due April 30 either way. Dates for the 2026 return aren’t published yet, so if someone quotes them as fixed, ask where they read that.
Keep copies of what you sent, since the CRA asks you to hold records for six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to. Our guide on a bookkeeping schedule sets out who sends what and when.
Where the numbers come from
Dates and the six-year rule are from the Canada Revenue Agency’s 2026 tax deadlines page and record keeping guide (RC188). Calculator results use our 2026 federal and Ontario tables, so they show the year now running, not the return already filed. They’re estimates and leave out credits you may qualify for.
Frequently asked questions
What should I tell my accountant during the year?
Job changes, a new side business, a move, a property sale, a marriage or separation, and any large one-off payment.
How often should I contact my accountant?
A short quarterly call and a longer meeting before year end suit many owners. Ask your accountant what rhythm they prefer.
What's the best way to send documents?
One folder, readable files, named by document and year. Send them as they arrive, not all at once in March.
When are T4 slips due?
Employers file T4 information returns by the last day of February after the calendar year.
How long should I keep what I send?
Six years from the end of the last tax year the records relate to, unless the CRA permits earlier destruction.
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Information only. This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Tax-Services.ca is an independent publisher: we don't prepare or file tax returns or offer tax services, and we have no connection with the CRA, Revenu Québec, any government or any company named on this page. Check the figures that matter with an official source or a qualified professional.