Contractors and trades
Accountants for contractors and trades in Canada
Bookkeeping, GST and year-end for Canadian trades and construction businesses. Corporate year-end from $2,500, self-employed returns from $350.
Corporate year-end and T2 from $2,500+. Self-employed personal return from $350+. See starting fees. Amounts are starting prices plus 5% GST.
Calgary office · eligible remote work across Canada
The books a trades business actually needs
Trades and construction businesses carry a set of accounting problems most other small companies do not. Money is received on progress billings rather than on completion, holdbacks sit unpaid for months while still forming part of the contract, and a large share of the labour cost is paid to people whose status as employee or subcontractor determines what has to be withheld and remitted.
HBT keeps the records at a level where each job can be seen on its own, prepares the corporate year end and personal returns for the owners, and handles the GST filings that go with progress billing. Where the treatment of a worker is genuinely unclear, we set out what the CRA looks at rather than guessing at an answer that would be expensive to be wrong about.
Before you call
What happens on the first call
The first conversation is free and takes about 10 to 15 minutes. A team member in Calgary answers, asks what is urgent, and explains the useful next step. There is no obligation to start an engagement.
- Step 1
Tell us the pressure point
A CRA letter, a filing deadline, messy books, payroll, or a decision you need to understand.
- Step 2
We ask a few practical questions
Entity type, province, records, software, and the date that matters. You do not need a perfect file first.
- Step 3
You leave with a next step
We explain the work, the information required, timing, and price before anything begins.
Ready now? Call +1 (587) 894-7451 or .
Fees
How we price the work
The first conversation is free. Starting fees are published on the fees page. Those amounts are starting prices and subject to 5% GST. Final fees depend on complexity, volume, record quality and scope. Fixed fees are provided where the engagement scope can be determined in advance. You will know the price before paid work starts.
Client feedback
What Calgary clients say
Husain Haroun, CPA, FCCA
Meet the founder who reviews the work“Working with HBT Accounting and the team was extremely efficient, thorough and professional.”
“HBT Accounting has a great team, as they have done all my annual taxes in professional way.”
“The team was helpful, easy to communicate with, and made everything stress free.”
Cannot call right now?
Request a call back in three quick steps
Tell us what you need help with and when suits you. We prepare the message and open your own email app so you can send it. Nothing is submitted to our servers.
Or email us directly: hbt@hbtaccounting.com
Service scope
What a trades engagement covers
The exact responsibilities, timing, and records depend on the agreed engagement. These are the areas we can discuss when shaping a scope that fits your business.
Job-level bookkeeping
Records kept so each contract can be looked at separately, rather than one undifferentiated pile of costs at year end.
Payroll and subcontractor payments
Source deductions and remittances for employees, and the payment records for subcontractors kept in a form that supports the treatment applied.
Year end and GST
Corporate year end and T2, plus the GST returns that go with progress billing and holdbacks.
How the work begins
A clear process before the accounting starts
- Step 1
Tell us how you bill
Progress billing, fixed price or time and materials, plus roughly how many people you pay and how.
- Step 2
Scope and price agreed
Priced on job volume, transaction count and payroll headcount, and confirmed before work starts.
- Step 3
A rhythm through the season
Monthly close through the busy months so the year end is not a reconstruction in the quiet ones.
Common question
What does accounting for a trades business cost?
A corporate year end with the T2 return starts at $2,500 and a self-employed or business owner personal return at $350. Monthly bookkeeping starts at $500 per month, or $750 per month with the year end included. A basic GST return starts at $175. Amounts are starting prices plus 5% GST and depend on the number of jobs, the volume of transactions and how many people are being paid. The fee is confirmed before any paid work begins.
Helpful guides
Read the details before your next conversation
Start with one clear question
Tell us what you need help understanding
Call or text HBT Accounting in Calgary, Alberta at +1 (587) 894-7451. We will ask a few practical questions and explain the most useful next step.
Mon–Fri 9am–6pm MT · Sat 9am–4pm MT. We reply to call requests and emails during business hours, usually the same day. If we are closed, send a call request and we will reply when the office opens.