Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
The best questions to ask when hiring an accountant in Canada are about credentials, scope, who does the work, and what happens if the CRA writes to you. Ask for the person’s designation and check it with the provincial accounting body. Then ask exactly what the price covers. That takes ten minutes and saves most of the pain.
Is this person actually qualified?
Start with the plainest question: “What’s your designation, and can I look you up?” In Canada, the CPA designation is granted and governed by provincial bodies, and those bodies publish member directories. Search your province’s directory and match the person’s name to the firm. If the name isn’t there, that’s an answer too.
Ask whether they hold a public accounting licence if you need an audit or review engagement. Most small businesses don’t need one for ordinary tax work. We couldn’t confirm from a primary page exactly which services a licence covers, so ask the person or the licensing body.
The word “accountant” on its own may not mean much. If someone offers tax preparation without a designation, that may be fine, and it means you should check references and experience harder. Ask for the names of two clients in a situation like yours, and ask whether you can call one.
What should you get in writing before you start?
Nobody can tell you what a fair fee is. Fees vary by firm, city and job, and there’s no reliable official figure. What you can do is get the scope on paper before you start, plus a ballpark for the year so the first invoice doesn’t surprise you.
| Question | What a good answer sounds like |
|---|---|
| What exactly does the fee cover? | A list: returns, GST/HST filings, payroll remittances, year-end, questions by email |
| What costs extra? | Named items, such as fixing old years or dealing with a CRA review |
| Who prepares my file? | A named person, and whether a junior does the first pass |
| How do I send documents? | A secure portal or a clear method, not plain email attachments of SIN and bank details |
| How fast do you reply? | A number of business days, in writing |
| What if the CRA writes to me? | They’ll be authorized to deal with it, and they say whether that is billed separately |
Our guide to choosing a tax preparer has a longer checklist for personal returns, if that’s your situation.
What should they say about your type of business?
Ask about clients like you. A sole proprietor with $100,000 of sales and a corporation with $300,000 of profit face different problems. On the first, tax lands on you personally. In the calculator, an Ontario sole proprietor with $80,000 of net business income owes $22,126 in income tax and CPP for 2026. See the self-employed tax calculator, which leaves out GST/HST and EI.
On the second, the corporate tax calculator gives about $35,088 of corporate tax on $300,000 of active business income in Ontario for a calendar 2026 year, an average of 11.7%. That’s a blended figure because Ontario cut its small business rate on 1 July 2026. Tax on paying money out to yourself is separate, and a good accountant will bring that up before you do. Ask, “When does incorporating make sense for me, and when doesn’t it?” If they say it always does, or never does, keep looking.
Also ask about instalments. The CRA says you may have to pay tax instalments if your net tax owing is more than $3,000 ($1,800 in Quebec) for the current year and in either of the two years before, with payments due March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15, per its page on required tax instalments. The tax instalment calculator uses the same $3,000 line, and an accountant should tell you early if you’re likely to cross it.
How should an accountant get into your CRA account?
You stay legally responsible for what’s on your return, even when someone else prepares it. The CRA says so, and it also says to get a copy of the return and never sign a blank form.
Ask how they get access to your CRA account. Through Represent a Client, you can give a representative view-only access or the ability to view and update, depending on the level you pick, and for a business you can limit it to one program such as payroll, as the CRA’s page on levels and scope of authorization lays out. Choose the smallest level that gets the job done, and know how to remove the person later. Nobody needs your CRA password.
Our guide to dealing with the CRA explains what that relationship looks like day to day.
When should you walk away?
Ask them to explain each claim they make in plain words. If they won’t, walk away. Be wary of anyone who promises an unusually large refund, says the CRA approves a scheme, or pushes you not to get a second opinion. Those are the CRA’s own red flags.
Also watch the small things. A reply that takes three weeks in November is a preview of March. A firm that can’t say who you’ll deal with probably doesn’t know either.
Bookkeeping is a separate job. Our pages on whether bookkeeping is mandatory and on what a bookkeeper can prepare help you decide who you need.
Our sources
The advice on preparers and authorization is based on the Canada Revenue Agency‘s pages on using a tax preparer, tax schemes and Represent a Client, and on the CPA bodies’ directories. Tax figures come from the 2026 data behind our calculators. This site isn’t linked to the CRA, any government or any accounting firm, and we make no claim about any firm’s fees or quality.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check an accountant's credentials?
Search the member directory of your provincial accounting body and match the person's name and the firm.
Am I still responsible if my accountant files my return?
Yes. The CRA says you remain legally responsible for the information on it, so review it before you sign and ask for a copy.
What red flags should I watch for?
An unusually large refund promised, a claim that the CRA approves a scheme, or pressure not to seek a second opinion.
How much access should my accountant have to my CRA account?
Give the lowest level that covers the work. Represent a Client offers view-only and view-and-update levels.
What is a fair fee?
We couldn't find a reliable official figure. Get the scope and price in writing from a few firms and compare what each includes.
- 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