Yellowknife businesses, served remotely
Accountant for Yellowknife businesses
Yellowknife accountant for contractors and firms: camp lodging at remote sites, the N.W.T. payroll tax withheld from every pay, and GST.
Prepared by HBT Accounting, a CPA led firm in CalgaryUpdated 5.0 on Google, 59 reviews
Contractors, consultants and the sites beyond town
Yellowknife had 20,340 people in 2021 and 905 businesses with employees in Statistics Canada's latest count, led by construction (96), professional, scientific and technical services (90) and public administration (88).
Much of the work tied to those businesses happens far from town, at mines and project sites reached by air or winter road. When an employer houses and feeds a crew there, the question is whether the board and lodging is a taxable benefit, and the answer rests on how remote the site is and how long people stay. Separately, the territory's 2% payroll tax comes off every pay. HBT works from Calgary and handles Yellowknife files remotely.
Yellowknife in numbers
| Population, 2021 Census | 20,340 |
|---|---|
| Change since the 2016 Census | Up 3.9% |
| Size among Canadian municipalities | 222nd |
| People per square kilometre | 196.8 |
| Businesses with employees | 905 |
| Largest sectors by employer businesses | Construction (96); Professional, scientific and technical services (90); Public administration (88) |
Source: Statistics Canada: Population and dwelling counts, census subdivisions, 2021 Census and Statistics Canada: Canadian Business Counts, with employees, June 2026.
What a Yellowknife engagement covers
Remote and special work sites
Board, lodging and travel for crews assessed against the CRA's conditions.
N.W.T. payroll tax
The 2% tax withheld from employees, and the annual return due February 28.
GST and year end
GST returns and the T2, with no territorial sales tax to add.
Is free camp accommodation taxable for a Yellowknife employer's crew?
Usually not, when the site qualifies. The CRA generally treats a work location as remote when it is at least 80 kilometres from the nearest established community of 1,000 people or more. Board and lodging there, where no one could reasonably keep a home of their own and the stay lasts at least 36 hours, is not a taxable benefit, and neither is transportation to and from the site in that period. If the conditions are not met, the value goes on the employee's T4.
Starting prices are published on the fees page. Final fees depend on scope, and we quote a fixed fee once the work is clear. See starting fees. The first conversation is free and takes about 10 to 15 minutes.