Accountant for self-employed individuals and sole proprietors.
A self-employed accountant who handles your tax, bookkeeping and HST the way a one-person business actually runs, not a generalist who sees one self-employment return a year. From freelancers and contractors in Whitby, Oshawa and Ajax to consultants across the GTA, you work directly with a chartered professional accountant (CPA, CA) with 20+ years filing returns for self-employed Canadians across Canada.
Self-employment is its own tax animal.
Most general accountants treat a self-employed person like any other tax return. They shouldn't. As a sole proprietor your business income goes on a T2125 inside your personal return, not a separate corporate filing. The HST small-supplier threshold sneaks up on you. You pay both halves of CPP on your net income. Home office and vehicle expenses are two of the categories the CRA looks at most closely. And the question of when to incorporate has more moving parts than a revenue rule of thumb can answer.
So yes, self-employed individuals genuinely benefit from a tax accountant who has seen the patterns, not a generalist learning on your file. As a business owner you carry the bookkeeping, the tax and the deadlines yourself, so the right help pays for itself. We have handled tax, bookkeeping and advisory for freelancers, contractors and sole proprietors across Durham Region and the GTA for over 20 years. The advice is plain and practical, the bookkeeping fits how you actually work, and the tax planning wins are real. No jargon, no upsells.
Tax and accounting services for the self-employed, the full picture.
One firm for tax, bookkeeping, HST and advisory. One point of contact, one consistent set of advice, and nothing falls between your accountant and your bookkeeper because they are the same person, so you can focus on the work that pays.
Personal tax return with self-employment income
Your T1 with the T2125 business statement, filed on time with every deduction you are entitled to and nothing you are not. We hit the June 15 self-employed filing deadline and make sure any balance owing is sorted before April 30.
HST registration and filings
Whether you need to register, when the small-supplier threshold is crossed, and how to file once you do. Quarterly or annual returns, your choice, with input tax credits claimed correctly.
Vehicle and home office deductions
Logbook setup, business-use percentage and a business-use-of-home calculation that holds up under CRA review, so you claim the business expenses you are owed without inviting an audit.
Monthly or quarterly bookkeeping
Your books reconciled to your bank and your invoicing system every month or quarter, so year-end is a quick close and you always know where the business stands.
Tax instalment planning
Quarterly instalments calculated and tracked once your net tax owing crosses the threshold, so you do not get charged interest or a year-end surprise.
Incorporation advisory
Whether and when to incorporate, modelled with your actual income, debt and savings goals, with the salary and dividend mix planned for the day you do.
Four things most accountants miss.
These are the questions that come up almost every time a self-employed person changes accountants. Worth knowing whether or not we end up working together.
The $30,000 HST threshold is not measured on your fiscal year
You stop being a small supplier and have to register for HST once your taxable revenue passes $30,000 in a single calendar quarter, or over four consecutive calendar quarters. It is a rolling test, not your fiscal year, and the date you cross it is the date you are expected to start charging HST. Most self-employed people miss the window by a quarter and end up backdating, owing HST they never collected from clients.
Home office and vehicle: claim it correctly or do not claim it
These are two of the most-reviewed expense categories for self-employed individuals. The CRA lets you deduct business-use-of-home expenses only if your home is your principal place of business, or a space used only for the business and used regularly to meet clients. The deduction cannot create or increase a business loss, but the unused part carries forward. Vehicle expenses need a logbook of business versus total kilometres. Generic estimates without supporting math are how reassessments start.
You pay both halves of CPP, and quarterly instalments are not optional
As a self-employed person you pay both the employee and employer share of CPP on your net business income, which for 2025 is a combined 11.90% on earnings above the basic exemption, plus the second CPP contribution on higher earnings. Once your net tax owing tops $3,000 in the current year and in either of the two prior years, the CRA expects quarterly instalments. Miss them and you are charged interest. We calculate the right amounts and track the dates.
When to incorporate is not just about revenue
Income alone does not decide it. You also need to look at how much you draw personally, whether you have debt to pay down, whether your spouse has unused income room, and what you are saving for. A blanket incorporate at $100K rule misses most of the variables. The small business deduction gives a much lower tax rate on income you leave in the company, but only retained earnings benefit. We model both options with your real numbers before you decide.
Three kinds of self-employed clients.
Full-time freelancers
Consultants, designers, writers and developers running a one-person business. We handle the personal tax return, the T2125, HST and the quarterly bookkeeping so the whole tax side is off your plate.
Side-hustlers crossing into full-time
Earning enough on the side that the books need tidying before the CRA notices. We catch up the bookkeeping, sort the business expenses, and put a system in place that scales as the income grows.
Independent contractors and consultants
Specialists billing larger clients on contract, often the ones the CRA scrutinizes most on employee-versus-contractor status. We coordinate with your invoicing setup and handle the tax return end-to-end.
You'll work directly with Elena.
EK CPA Pro is owner-operated. When you call, you're talking to the CPA, CA who's actually doing the work, not a junior who hands the file off at year-end. Elena has been working with owner-operated businesses across Durham Region since 2009, and is a graduate of CPA Canada's In-Depth Tax Program.
Questions self-employed individuals ask first.
Should I hire an accountant if I am self-employed?
Most self-employed individuals should. A sole proprietor return has a T2125 business statement, HST rules, CPP on both halves of your income, instalments, and home office and vehicle expenses the CRA scrutinizes. A self-employed accountant who has seen the patterns usually means cleaner books, lower tax, fewer audit flags, and time back for the work that actually pays. That is the whole reason a tax accountant for the self-employed exists.
How much does an accountant for self-employed individuals cost?
It depends on the work: a personal tax return with self-employment income is more involved than a simple T1, and adding HST filings or monthly bookkeeping changes the number. We quote a fixed fee up front for the whole package so you know the cost before we start. For most sole proprietors the fee is a fraction of the tax and interest a clean, correct return saves.
Do I need a T4 slip if I am self-employed?
No. A T4 is issued by an employer to an employee. As a self-employed sole proprietor you are not an employee of your business, so there is no T4 for your business income. You report your gross revenue and business expenses on form T2125, which feeds your personal tax return. If you also held a regular job during the year, that job gives you a T4 and it goes on the same return.
How much tax will I pay if I am self-employed?
Your self-employment income is taxed at the same federal and Ontario personal rates as any other income, on your net profit after business expenses. On top of income tax you pay both halves of CPP on that net income, a combined 11.90% for 2025 above the basic exemption. There is no tax withheld at source the way an employer withholds it, which is why instalments and setting money aside matter. We estimate the total so nothing is a surprise.
When do I need to register for HST?
Once your taxable revenue passes $30,000 in a single calendar quarter, or over four consecutive calendar quarters. It is a rolling test, not your calendar or fiscal year. The day you cross the threshold is the day you are expected to start charging HST, so registering late means backdating and owing HST you never collected. We monitor the threshold for you and register at the right time.
How do you bill?
Fixed-fee, quoted up front. You will know the cost of your tax return, your HST filings and your bookkeeping before we start. No surprise invoices, no hourly billing.