Accounting, Tax, Payroll & Bookkeeping Services in Nunavut

Nunavut Land Claims Agreement in tax practice

The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (1993) is the largest Indigenous land claim settlement in Canadian history. It established Nunavut as a territory, created the Nunavut Trust and various Inuit-owned development corporations, and provided specific tax treatment for certain qualifying transactions involving Inuit-owned lands, Inuit-owned businesses, and beneficiaries of the agreement. Key tax interactions include: Inuit beneficiary capital distributions; corporate tax treatment of Inuit-owned development corporations (Nunasi, Sakku, Atuqtuarvik, Kakivak, NCC, Qikiqtaaluk, and others); land settlement implementation funding flows; and royalty interactions with resource extraction on Inuit-owned land. We work with Inuit-owned business clients and their counsel where these issues affect tax filings.

Nunavut mining and exploration

Nunavut produces gold (Meadowbank, Meliadine), iron ore (Mary River), and has substantial exploration activity in critical minerals, rare earths, and base metals. Mining businesses in Nunavut interact with: the federal Mineral Exploration Tax Credit; the federal Critical Mineral Exploration Tax Credit (CMETC) for qualifying projects; resource property treatment; accelerated CCA on mining equipment; Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement (IIBA) obligations that affect cost structure; and unique logistics with sealift-based equipment movement and charter aviation for personnel.

Aviation and sealift logistics

None of Nunavut's 25 communities is connected by road to the rest of Canada. Almost everything reaches Nunavut by air or by the short summer sealift shipping season (typically July to October). This creates unique tax considerations for Nunavut businesses: high freight costs that must be properly classified between operating expenses and capital expenses; seasonal cash flow patterns tied to the sealift schedule; aviation-specific GST/HST treatment; and the interaction between federal northern allowances, taxable benefits, and the Northern Residents Deduction for employees.

Cost of living and Northern Residents Deduction

Nunavut has the highest cost of living of any Canadian region. A litre of milk in Iqaluit may cost three times what it costs in Toronto. A bag of groceries in Pond Inlet may cost four times what it costs in Edmonton. The federal Northern Residents Deduction provides partial offset through a residency component (daily amount per day of residency in the prescribed zone) and a travel component (for medical and personal travel subject to specific rules). The travel component is particularly valuable for Nunavut residents given the cost of travel from many communities to southern Canada for medical care or family reasons.

Canadian tax compliance calendar that applies to Nunavut 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 Nunavut 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 Nunavut clients

Canadian taxpayers commonly receive several types of CRA contact each year. Knowing what each one means helps Nunavut 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 Nunavut 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 Nunavut clients ask

Why working with BOMCAS Canada makes sense for Nunavut

Nunavut 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 Nunavut 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 Nunavut

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

Services available throughout Nunavut

Talk to a Canadian accountant serving Nunavut

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

Call 780-667-5250 Request Consultation