Accounting, Tax, Payroll & Bookkeeping Services in Alberta

Alberta's unique federal-provincial tax administration relationship

Alberta is one of only two Canadian provinces (along with Quebec) that did not enter the federal Tax Collection Agreement for corporate income tax. This has substantive consequences for every Alberta-resident corporation. Every Alberta corporation must file two separate corporate income tax returns each year: the federal T2 Corporation Income Tax Return with the Canada Revenue Agency, and the separate AT1 Alberta Corporate Income Tax Return with Alberta Treasury Board and Finance. The AT1 has its own filing deadline (the same six-months-after-year-end as the T2) and its own payment deadline. Most CCPCs (Canadian-controlled private corporations) claiming the Alberta small business deduction must remit Alberta corporate tax by the third month after year-end; other corporations face the standard two-month deadline.

The AT1 contains its own schedules covering Alberta-specific items: the Alberta innovation employment grant, the Alberta investment tax credit (legacy claims), the Alberta scientific research and experimental development (SR&ED) provincial component, and Alberta-specific manufacturing and processing treatment. While many Alberta accountants treat the AT1 as a simple replica of the T2, careful attention to the Alberta-specific schedules can produce meaningful tax differences.

Alberta industries and their accounting challenges

Alberta's economy presents some of Canada's most challenging industry-specific accounting situations:

• Oil and gas service companies manage CCA on heavy equipment, multi-province operations across Alberta, BC, and Saskatchewan, IFTA fuel tax compliance for the trucking fleet, and the Personal Services Business risk for independent oilfield consultants working through their own corporations.
• Farms and ranches use the section 28 cash method election, AgriStability program income reporting, the Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption on qualified farm property (currently approximately $1.25 million per individual indexed annually), section 73 rollover provisions for intergenerational transfers, and provincial farm property assessment rules.
• Trucking owner-operators based in Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, and Lethbridge dealing with TL2 meal claims for long-haul drivers, IFTA quarterly returns, GST/HST zero-rating for cross-border freight, and the incorporation decision for high-earning operators.
• Construction and trades with T5018 contract payment reporting, WCB Alberta coverage, Alberta-specific holdback rules under the Prompt Payment Act, and the residential vs commercial GST/HST treatment that applies to renovation and new-construction work.

Canadian tax compliance calendar that applies to Alberta clients

The Canadian tax compliance calendar is the same regardless of where you live in Canada, but several deadlines are commonly missed or misunderstood by Alberta businesses and individuals:

• January 31. T4, T4A, and T5018 information returns due for the prior calendar year. Late filing penalties start at $100 and escalate quickly for larger employers.
• February 28. T5 investment income slips due for the prior calendar year.
• March 1 or March 2. RRSP, FHSA, and similar registered plan contribution deadline for the prior tax year (60 days into the new calendar year).
• March 31. T3 trust return deadline (90 days after the trust's calendar year end).
• April 30. T1 personal tax return deadline for most Canadians. Balance owing is due by this date regardless of whether the filing deadline is extended.
• June 15. T1 deadline for self-employed individuals and their spouses (although any balance owing is still due April 30).
• Six months after corporate year-end. T2 corporate income tax return filing deadline.
• Two or three months after corporate year-end. T2 balance owing payment deadline (three months for CCPCs claiming the small business deduction throughout the year and meeting the taxable income threshold; two months otherwise).
• Quarterly: March 15, June 15, September 15, December 15. Personal tax instalment due dates for taxpayers required to pay instalments.
• Monthly or quarterly. CRA source deduction remittances and GST/HST remittances based on the assigned filing frequency.

What happens when CRA contacts Alberta clients

Canadian taxpayers commonly receive several types of CRA contact each year. Knowing what each one means helps Alberta businesses and individuals respond appropriately:

• Notice of Assessment (NOA). Issued after CRA processes a return. The NOA states the assessed tax, refund or balance owing, and any adjustments CRA made. Review your NOA carefully against your filed return.
• Notice of Reassessment. Issued when CRA changes a previously assessed return. You have 90 days from the date of a Notice of Reassessment to file a Notice of Objection if you disagree.
• Pre-assessment review letter. A request for documentation about specific items on a return before CRA finalizes the assessment. Strict response deadlines.
• Post-assessment review letter. Same documentation request, but after the NOA has been issued. Strict response deadlines.
• Demand to file. A formal demand that you file a return that CRA believes is overdue. Failure to comply can lead to a Notional Assessment (CRA estimates your tax, almost always at a higher amount than actual).
• Audit notice. The most serious form of CRA contact. Audits can be desk audits (by mail) or field audits (CRA officer reviews books in person or virtually).
• Collections letter. Issued when there is an unpaid balance. CRA collections has significant powers including garnishment and asset seizure.

If you receive any form of CRA contact, contact us immediately. Do not call CRA back yourself and do not send documents without professional review.

How BOMCAS Canada handles CRA representation for Alberta clients

With your signed authorization on file (RC59 for businesses or AUT-01 for individuals), BOMCAS Canada can communicate with CRA on your behalf. This means: CRA calls about your file route to us; we can access your CRA My Account or My Business Account information; we respond to review letters, audit requests, and collections matters; we file Notices of Objection within the 90-day deadline if needed; we represent you in CRA audits virtually; and we coordinate with tax counsel for Tax Court of Canada appeals where required.

Common Canadian tax questions Alberta clients ask

Why working with BOMCAS Canada makes sense for Alberta

Alberta businesses and residents work with BOMCAS Canada for several reasons that may matter to you:

• Fixed-fee transparency. Most engagements are quoted as a fixed monthly fee or fixed per-project fee, signed in writing before any work begins. No surprise hourly invoices for routine work.
• One-business-day response standard. We staff to a one-business-day response standard for client emails and calls during normal business hours. No multi-day voicemail backlogs.
• Year-round support. Most clients have unlimited email and phone support included in the engagement, not just during tax season.
• Same accountant year over year. You are not transferred to a new junior every year. The same person who knows your file this year will still know it next year.
• Secure virtual delivery. Encrypted client portal, e-signature, multi-factor authentication, and direct CRA representation under your written authorization. PIPEDA-compliant. No driving to a CPA office.
• Canadian-only tax expertise. We do not do US-only tax, UK tax, or other foreign jurisdictions in isolation. Our cross-border work is always anchored by deep Canadian compliance. Every member of the team works exclusively on Canadian files.
• Industry depth. We have specialized experience across trucking, real estate, medical professionals, contractors, restaurants, e-commerce, farms, nonprofits, and other Canadian industries.

Getting started — what Alberta clients can expect

A typical engagement with BOMCAS Canada begins with a phone call or contact form submission. We respond within one business day to schedule a 15–30 minute discovery conversation by phone or video. The discovery call covers your current tax situation, accounting history, prior accountant relationship (if any), pain points, and goals. There is no sales pitch and no obligation. If we are a fit, we provide a written engagement letter with a fixed fee and clear scope. If we are not a fit, we are happy to suggest other Canadian professionals who might be.

Once the engagement letter is signed, you e-sign the CRA authorization (RC59 for businesses or AUT-01 for individuals), and we onboard you to the encrypted client portal. From that point forward, the relationship is structured around predictable monthly deliverables: bookkeeping, sales tax filings, payroll, and year-end financial statements plus T2 corporate tax (for incorporated businesses) — with proactive tax planning conversations throughout the year.

Cities and communities we serve in Alberta

Below are the major Alberta cities with dedicated landing pages. BOMCAS Canada also serves towns, villages, and hamlets across Alberta virtually.

Services available throughout Alberta

Talk to a Canadian accountant serving Alberta

Call 780-667-5250 or submit the contact form. We respond within one business day.

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