Accountant in British Columbia

A bookkeeper records transactions, reconciles accounts and runs payroll. An accountant prepares statutory accounts, files tax, and advises on structure and planning. Small firms often use a bookkeeper monthly and an accountant annually.

Scope (exactly which filings and services are included), fees and how they're billed, deadlines and your responsibilities for providing records, and what falls outside the fee. A one-line quote with no engagement letter is a red flag.

Look for membership of a recognised professional body (see the country notes below), which brings training standards, regulation, and anti-money-laundering supervision. Anyone can call themselves an 'accountant' in most countries — a chartered/certified designation is the real filter.

Software (Xero, QuickBooks) handles day-to-day bookkeeping well, but an accountant adds value at year-end for tax filing, compliance and planning. Many businesses run software themselves and pay an accountant only for the annual accounts and tax return.

Yes — legitimate planning around business structure, allowable expenses, pension contributions, timing of income, and available reliefs is core work. Be wary of anyone promoting aggressive 'schemes'; if it sounds too good, it usually attracts penalties later.

Three models: hourly (declining, common for ad-hoc work), fixed fee for a defined deliverable like a tax return, and monthly retainer bundling bookkeeping, filing and advice. Fixed and monthly are now the norm because they give both sides predictability.

For personal or simple self-employed returns, a qualified preparer suffices. Incorporated businesses filing a T2 and needing financial statements generally benefit from a CPA, especially for CRA correspondence and planning.