Trades, contractors and family farms
Accountant for Dorchester and Thames Centre
Drive down Hamilton Road through Dorchester on a weekday morning and you will pass a steady stream of work trucks heading into London. Thames Centre is home to a deep bench of electricians, plumbers, excavators and general contractors who work across London, alongside family farms that have been in the same hands for generations.
A&P Accounting & Tax Experts handles the accounting those businesses need: T2 corporate returns, payroll, year-end financial statements, T5018 and WSIB paperwork, and the estate and succession work that keeps a farm in the family. We speak the language of CCA classes and clearance certificates as fluently as T4 slips.
Our downtown London office is about 20 minutes west along Highway 401 or Hamilton Road, and Thames Centre clients can work with us in person, by drop-off or entirely online.
- 5.0 stars on Google
- Downtown London office
- In person or fully online
- Open Saturdays
What we do
Our Services for Dorchester and Thames Centre
Most Dorchester clients run something: a crew, a shop or a farm. The services they lean on are the ones that keep a business compliant and a family protected.
Corporate Tax and Year-End
T2 returns for incorporated contractors and farm corporations, with salary and dividend planning for the owners. See our corporate tax returns for Thames Centre companies.
Payroll for Crews and Farm Help
Pay runs, source deductions, WSIB reporting and T4 slips, including seasonal staff. Read about our payroll services for Dorchester employers.
Financial Statements That Lenders Accept
Compilation engagement statements for bonding, equipment financing and bank renewals through our small business accounting for Thames Centre owners.
Estates and Farm Transfers
Final returns, T3 estate returns and clearance certificates for executors, handled by our estate and trust tax returns for Middlesex County families.
Construction accounting
Accounting for Trades and Contractors in Thames Centre
Construction has more compliance layers than almost any other small business. A Dorchester contractor deals with the CRA, WSIB and HST all at once, and the general contractors you work for will check that you are in good standing before they pay you.
T5018 Contractor Reporting
If construction is your main source of business income, you must report what you paid each subcontractor on a T5018 slip once payments reach $500 in the period. The CRA uses those slips to match your subcontractors’ reported income, so missing or wrong slips tend to surface in someone’s audit.
We track subcontractor payments in your books through the year, so the slips and summary are ready well before the six-month deadline.
- Subcontractor name, address and business number on file before the first payment
- Payments for construction services only, not materials bought from suppliers
- Calendar-year or fiscal-year reporting, chosen once and kept consistent
WSIB Clearance and Coverage for Contractors
Since January 1, 2013, WSIB coverage has been mandatory for most people working in Ontario construction, including independent operators, sole proprietors, partners and executive officers. General contractors must get a clearance certificate from each subcontractor before work starts.
Skip it, and the general contractor can be held liable for a subcontractor’s unpaid premiums up to the labour portion of the contract. We keep your WSIB account reported and paid so your clearance is always current.
Vehicles, Tools and Equipment
Trucks, trailers and tools are written off through capital cost allowance, not expensed all at once. Under the half-year rule, you generally claim only half the normal CCA in the year of purchase, so a December purchase does not give a full year’s deduction.
Buying gives you CCA and deductible loan interest; leasing gives a deductible payment, with limits on passenger vehicles. We compare both before you sign.
| CCA class | Rate | Typical assets |
|---|---|---|
| Class 10 | 30% | Pickups, cube vans, trailers and general-purpose equipment |
| Class 10.1 | 30% | Passenger vehicles costing more than the prescribed cost limit |
| Class 38 | 30% | Excavators, loaders and other power-operated earth-moving equipment |
| Class 8 | 20% | Larger tools, shop machinery and equipment not listed in another class |
| Class 12 | 100% | Small tools costing less than $500 each |
Need your clearance, T5018s and year-end sorted?
Call for a fixed quote covering your Dorchester contracting business from payroll to T2.
Farm Families and Succession Planning
The farms around Dorchester, Harrietsville and Thorndale are often worth far more today than when the current generation took over, which means the tax on a careless transfer can be enormous. Done in the right order, most of it can be deferred or exempted.
We coordinate the tax side with your lawyer and lender so the plan, the will and the ownership records all say the same thing.
Know What You Own
List land, buildings, quota and equipment, who owns each piece and how it has been used. Qualification for the farm rollover and exemption depends on that history.
Keep AgriInvest Working
Keep making AgriInvest deposits through Agricorp. The account is a cushion for the next generation, and withdrawals of government contributions are taxable, so timing matters.
Transfer at the Right Value
Use the intergenerational rollover to move farm property to a child at tax cost or at an elected value that uses your lifetime capital gains exemption.
Line Up the Estate
Make sure your will matches the plan. If something passes at death, the final return and T3 estate return can still use the same rollover to a child.
Communities We Serve in Thames Centre
Thames Centre was created on January 1, 2001, when the townships of West Nissouri and North Dorchester amalgamated. The 2021 census counted 13,980 residents, about 6% more than in 2016, spread between two villages and a lot of farmland.
- Dorchester, the largest community, with the 401 just south of the village and Hamilton Road running straight into London.
- Thorndale in the north end of the township, on the old West Nissouri side.
- Mossley and Harrietsville in the southern farm belt.
- Nilestown and Crumlin, the hamlets along the London boundary.
From any of them, our office is 15 to 25 minutes away, and nobody has to come in unless they want to.
From Thorndale to Harrietsville, call one local number
Ask about payroll, T2 returns or a farm transfer plan for your Thames Centre family.
Dorchester Accounting FAQs
Contractor slips, incorporation and farm transfers come up in nearly every first call from Dorchester. Here is where each one usually lands.
Do I need to file T5018 slips for my subcontractors?
Yes, if construction is your main line of business, meaning more than half your business income comes from construction, and you paid a subcontractor $500 or more for construction services during the period. Each subcontractor gets a T5018 slip and the CRA gets a T5018 summary.
The filing is due six months after the end of your reporting period, which can be the calendar year or your fiscal year. A calendar-year 2026 filer is due by June 30, 2027.
Should my contracting business be incorporated?
Often, once the business earns more than you need to live on. Active business income kept in an Ontario corporation is taxed at a combined 11.2% on the first $500,000 since July 1, 2026, compared with personal rates that climb well past 40% on higher incomes.
Incorporating also brings a T2 return, separate books and, for construction, WSIB coverage for the corporation’s executive officers. Our incorporation service for Thames Centre contractors compares the two structures on your real numbers first.
How do I pass the farm to my kids without a big tax bill?
Two tools do most of the work. The intergenerational rollover lets farmland, buildings and quota used in farming move to a child at their tax cost, or at a higher elected value that uses your lifetime capital gains exemption, which was raised to $1.25 million for qualified farm property in 2024.
The catch is that the property has to qualify, which depends on how it has been used and owned for years beforehand. Starting the plan five or more years ahead leaves room to fix anything that does not.
Get Help With Your Dorchester Business Taxes
Call with your year-end date, the size of your crew or the acres you farm. We will give you a fixed quote and a clear list of what to send, and we answer Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. as well as weekdays.