Fees and pricing
Accountant Fees and Tax Preparation Pricing in London, Ontario
At A&P Accounting & Tax Experts, you know the price before we start. We review what needs filing, ask a few questions about your records, and give you a fixed quote, so the invoice at the end matches the number you agreed to at the beginning.
The guide below is for London individuals, families, sole proprietors and incorporated owner-managers trying to budget for tax and accounting help. It sets out the price ranges you will see across the London market and, more usefully, the factors that push any accountant's fee up or down.
Few local firms publish this information. We think you should be able to compare options with real numbers in hand before you pick up the phone.
- 5.0 stars on Google
- Downtown London office
- In person or fully online
- Open Saturdays
Our approach
How We Price Accounting and Tax Work
We price defined work at a fixed fee. A personal return, a T2 with year-end statements, or a month of bookkeeping has a known scope, so we quote it once we have seen what is involved and that quote does not creep.
Hourly billing still exists in the London market. Some firms bill extras in quarter-hour blocks, which can make a simple question surprisingly expensive and leaves clients guessing until the invoice arrives.
Open-ended matters are different. A CRA audit, for example, depends on what the auditor asks for, so the quote covers a clearly defined first stage and any additional work is discussed and agreed before it starts.
- Quote given before any work begins
- Recurring work priced per month, quarter or pay run
- Scope changes discussed before they are billed
Individuals and families
Personal Tax Return Fees
Across London, a straightforward personal return typically costs about $90 to $250, and online marketplaces report an overall range of roughly $90 to $500 with an average near $200. Where a return falls in that range depends on the slips, schedules and records behind it.
These are market figures for context, not our price list. Your fixed quote comes after a short call about your situation.
| Return type | Typical London market range | What usually drives the price |
|---|---|---|
| Simple T1 return with T4 income | About $90 to $250 | Number of slips, tuition (T2202) or RRSP receipts, medical and donation claims |
| Return with investment income or capital gains | Middle of the $90 to $500 range | T5, T3 and T5008 slips, adjusted cost base records, Schedule 3 |
| Return with rental or self-employment income | Upper end of the range, sometimes higher | Number of properties (T776) or businesses (T2125), state of receipts, capital cost allowance |
| Prior-year or catch-up return | Similar to a current-year return, per year | Missing slips that must be pulled from the CRA, number of years, penalties to address |
Simple Returns With T4 Income
A single T4, a couple of credits and nothing unusual sits at the low end of the market. Price climbs gently with each added slip, a spouse's return or a disability tax credit claim on Form T2201.
See our personal income tax return service for what every return includes.
Returns With Rental, Investment or Self-Employed Income
Each extra schedule adds real work. A T776 for a rental unit means sorting expenses and deciding on capital cost allowance, while a T2125 for a side business means categorizing a year of receipts.
Sole proprietors can read about tax filing for self-employed Londoners.
Prior-Year and Catch-Up Returns
Each unfiled year is its own return, so the fee is usually priced per year. Missing slips can be retrieved through Represent a Client once you authorize us.
If the CRA has already sent demands, our help with late filing and CRA letters covers the next steps.
Want a number for your own return?
Tell us your slips and income sources over the phone and get a fixed quote in minutes.
Owners and corporations
Business Accounting Fees
Business fees vary far more than personal ones because transaction volume, staff and record quality differ so widely. In London, a T2 corporate return with year-end financial statements typically starts around $1,500, and monthly bookkeeping runs from roughly $100 to $500 or more.
Owners who bundle bookkeeping, HST and the year-end usually pay less in total than when each piece is fixed up separately at the last minute.
| Service | Typical London market range | Billing frequency |
|---|---|---|
| T2 return with year-end financial statements | From about $1,500 | Once a year, after fiscal year-end |
| Monthly bookkeeping | Roughly $100 to $500+ a month | Monthly or quarterly |
| Payroll processing | Varies with headcount and pay frequency | Per pay run, plus year-end T4 slips |
| GST/HST returns | Varies with filing frequency and volume | Per return, or included with bookkeeping |
Corporate T2 Returns and Year-End Financial Statements
Revenue, the number of transactions and the condition of the books drive the T2 fee. A holding company with a few investment entries costs far less than an operating company with inventory, payroll and shareholder loan activity.
Details are on our corporate tax return (T2) page.
Monthly Bookkeeping Packages
Bookkeeping is usually tiered by monthly transaction volume and the number of bank and credit card accounts to reconcile. Bank feeds in QuickBooks Online or Xero keep costs down; paper statements push them up.
Compare options on our bookkeeping services page.
Payroll Processing
Payroll is generally priced per pay run with a per-employee component, so ten staff paid bi-weekly cost more than two staff paid monthly. Year-end T4 slips and any Records of Employment are part of the picture.
Read about our payroll services for Ontario employers.
GST/HST Filing
HST returns are priced per return, so an annual filer pays for one return while a monthly filer pays for twelve. When we already keep the books, the return comes straight from reconciled figures and costs less to prepare.
More on GST/HST registration and returns.
Honest cost drivers
What Changes the Price
Two returns that look identical on paper can take very different amounts of time. These three factors explain most of the gap between the bottom and top of any accountant's price range.
Condition of Your Records
A reconciled QuickBooks file with receipts attached can be reviewed quickly. A shoebox of faded receipts and unlabelled bank statements has to be sorted, matched and questioned first, and that time shows up in the quote.
Number of Slips, Schedules and Entities
Every rental property, trust, holding company or extra business adds a schedule or a separate return. A family with two corporations and three rentals is several engagements, not one.
Deadlines and Rush Work
Documents that arrive the week of April 30 or June 15 leave little room to chase missing slips. Call early and the quote will reflect a normal timeline; tell us up front if a deadline is close.
Remember that filing late usually costs more than any rush: the CRA's late-filing penalty is 5% of the balance owing plus 1% for each full month late, up to 12 months.
Key filing dates for the year are collected in our tax deadlines and document checklist, which also helps you gather everything before you call.
Organized records mean a lower quote.
Ask us what to gather before you call back. A short checklist can save you real money.
Fee Questions
These are the pricing questions London clients ask most often before booking. For broader questions about how we work, see our frequently asked questions about tax and accounting help.
Is the first consultation free?
Getting a quote is free. Call the office, describe what needs to be filed and for which years, and we will give you a fixed fee before any work begins.
Nothing is billed unless you decide to go ahead. If your situation needs a closer look at your documents before we can price it, we will say so on the call.
Are accounting fees tax-deductible?
For a business, yes. Sole proprietors claim bookkeeping, accounting and tax preparation fees as professional fees on Form T2125, and corporations deduct them as an ordinary business expense on the T2.
For individuals, fees to prepare a personal return are generally not deductible. The CRA makes an exception when you earn business or property income, such as rent or investment income, under line 22100 carrying charges. Fees paid to object to or appeal a CRA assessment are deductible on line 23200.
Do you charge HST on your fees?
Accounting, bookkeeping and tax preparation are taxable services in Canada, so a GST/HST registrant in Ontario adds 13% HST to the fee. Your quote will tell you whether HST is included or added on top.
Business clients registered for HST can usually recover that tax as an input tax credit on their own GST/HST return.
Should I use a free tax clinic instead of paying an accountant?
If your income is modest and your return is simple, a free clinic run under the CRA Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) may be a good fit. Volunteers generally do not prepare returns with self-employment income, rental income, capital gains or for people who have died.
Those are exactly the returns where professional preparation tends to pay for itself, through correct expense claims and fewer CRA follow-up letters.
Get a Fixed Quote
Call with a rough list of your slips, accounts or business activity and we will give you a fixed fee, a document checklist and a start date. No hourly meter and no surprise invoice.