What Your Accountant Actually Needs from You (and When)
Every year, the same thing happens. Your accountant sends an email asking for your documents. You scramble for two weeks. They follow up. You send half the files. They ask clarifying questions. You dig through old emails. The return finally gets filed, and you swear next year will be different.
Here's how to actually make it different.
The Complete Document Checklist
Your accountant needs these items to prepare your corporate tax return (T2). Not some of them. All of them.
Financial Records
| Document | What It Is | Where to Get It |
|---|---|---|
| Bank statements (all 12 months) | Every account the corporation uses | Your bank's online portal |
| Credit card statements (all 12 months) | Business credit card activity | Your credit card provider |
| Revenue records | Invoices issued, contracts, sales reports | Your invoicing tool or records |
| Expense receipts | Proof of business purchases | Your email, phone, filing system |
| Loan statements | Business loans, lines of credit | Your lender |
| Investment statements | Corporate investment accounts | Your brokerage |
Payroll Documents
| Document | What It Is | When It's Needed |
|---|---|---|
| T4 slips | Salary paid to yourself/employees | If you paid salary |
| T5 slips | Dividends declared | If you paid dividends |
| Payroll remittance records | CPP/tax payments to CRA | If you paid salary |
| T4 Summary | Annual payroll summary | If you paid salary |
Tax-Specific Items
| Document | What It Is |
|---|---|
| Prior year's Notice of Assessment | CRA's assessment of last year's return |
| GST/HST returns filed | Quarterly or annual GST filings |
| Previous year's financial statements | For comparative purposes |
| Shareholder loan balance | Amount owed to/from shareholders |
| Auto logbook (if applicable) | Business vs personal km driven |
| Home office details | Square footage, expenses, rental agreement |
When Your Accountant Needs Everything
Timing depends on your fiscal year-end. Here's the calendar:
| Fiscal Year-End | T2 Filing Deadline | Tax Payment Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| December 31 | June 30 | February 28 (or March 1 if eligible for 3-month rule) |
| March 31 | September 30 | May 31 (or June 30) |
| June 30 | December 31 | August 31 (or September 30) |
The 3-month payment rule: CCPCs with taxable income under $500,000 in the current and prior year (and claiming the small business deduction) get three months after year-end to pay, instead of two.
Most accountants want your documents 2-3 months before the filing deadline. For a December 31 year-end, that means everything should be in their hands by March or April at the latest.
The earlier you provide documents, the less rushed and more thorough the work will be. Accountants filing 200 returns in June don't have the same attention bandwidth as they do in March.
The Five Things That Frustrate Accountants Most
1. Missing Receipts
"I bought something but I can't find the receipt." Every missing receipt is a potential deduction lost. Digital receipts in your email count. Bank statement line items without receipts are harder to defend in an audit.
2. Mixed Personal and Business Transactions
When your business card has grocery charges and your personal card has office supplies, your accountant has to sort through every transaction to determine what's business and what's personal. This takes time and costs you money.
3. Unexplained Transfers
Money moving between your personal and corporate accounts without context. Is it a salary payment? A shareholder loan? A capital contribution? If you don't label it, your accountant has to guess.
4. Last-Minute Document Delivery
Sending documents the week before the filing deadline means your accountant is doing rushed work. Rushed work means potential errors or missed deductions. It also means higher fees, since many firms charge premiums for late filers.
5. No Bookkeeping at All
Handing your accountant a box of receipts and bank statements is not bookkeeping. It's data entry, and your accountant will charge you for it. Often at a higher rate than a bookkeeper would.
How to Be the Client Your Accountant Loves
Keep Books Monthly
Spend 30 minutes at the end of each month categorizing transactions and reconciling your bank account. This single habit eliminates 80% of year-end stress.
Use Consistent Categories
Pick expense categories and stick with them all year. Don't call it "Office Supplies" in January and "Supplies & Materials" in March. Consistency makes your accountant's job faster and your bill lower.
Label Every Transfer
Any money moving between personal and corporate accounts should have a clear note: "Salary - January 2026" or "Shareholder loan repayment" or "Dividend payment Q3." Your future self and your accountant will both thank you.
Send Everything at Once
Don't send documents in five separate emails over three weeks. Compile everything, check it against the checklist above, and send one complete package. If something is missing, note it and explain when it will be available.
Ask Questions Early
If you're unsure whether something is deductible, ask your accountant in real time, not at year-end. Most accountants prefer a quick email in July over a complicated question in April when they're buried in filings.
A Simple Monthly Routine
| Task | Time Required |
|---|---|
| Categorize the month's transactions | 15 minutes |
| Scan or save any paper receipts | 5 minutes |
| Reconcile bank statement | 10 minutes |
| Note any unusual transactions | 5 minutes |
| Total | 35 minutes/month |
That's about 7 hours per year. Compare that to the 15-20 hours of frantic year-end catching up that most solo corp owners do.
How ledg Helps
ledg handles the monthly bookkeeping routine for your corporation, so when your accountant asks for documents, you export a clean, categorized record of every transaction. No scrambling, no missing receipts, no "I'll get that to you next week."
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