Accounting for general contractors in Ottawa
General contractors manage subs, holdbacks, and progress draws across long projects. In Ottawa, taxifi handles it online: books current every day, filings on time, and a Canadian accountant reviewing and signing every file.
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General Contractors in Ottawa, books handled
Ottawa's economy runs on government, tech, and a deep bench of professional and trades businesses. taxifi is built in Ottawa, so serving incorporated businesses here is home turf.
For general contractors specifically, taxifi covers the work below as part of one flat monthly price, with Ontario’s HST, WSIB, and Employer Health Tax handled inside the service:
- Progress-billing and holdback tracking
- T5018 subcontractor slips prepared and filed
- Crew payroll and WSIB-ready records
- HST input tax credits on materials and equipment
What we take off a Ottawa general contractor’s plate
Holdbacks and progress draws
Construction holdbacks distort what you think you've earned. We track them so your revenue and receivables reflect what you're actually owed and when.
T5018 subcontractor reporting
Every sub payment is tracked through the year and the T5018 slips are prepared and filed on time, with records behind each number.
HST across materials and equipment
Input tax credits on materials, rentals, and equipment are captured on every transaction so your net HST is accurate.
Why Ottawa general contractors choose taxifi
taxifi was built in Ottawa, and the home market is a distinctive one: an economy anchored by the federal government and everyone who serves it, a bilingual client base, and steady suburban build-out from Kanata to Barrhaven to Orléans. Demand here is stable rather than boom-and-bust — which makes messy books an unforced error.
That context shapes the work: holdbacks, progress draws, and a bench of subs spread across multiple active jobs is the normal state of a Ottawa general contractor's paperwork. taxifi absorbs it — daily AI bookkeeping, accountant-signed filings — so every job closes with its true margin on record instead of a best guess.
Common questions
How do construction holdbacks work for tax purposes?
Ontario's Construction Act requires a 10% holdback on construction contracts, and holdbacks have their own timing for tax — notably, HST on a holdback amount is generally not due until the holdback becomes payable, not when you first invoice. Books that track holdbacks separately keep that timing right automatically; books that don't overpay early or underpay late.
Which of my subcontractors go on T5018 slips?
For a business whose primary activity is construction, payments to subcontractors for construction services get reported on T5018s — incorporated or not, which catches people used to the T4A rules. taxifi keeps a running record of every sub payment on every Ottawa job, so slip season is an export rather than an archaeology dig through e-Transfers.
Does taxifi work with Ottawa businesses that serve the federal government?
Yes — a lot of Ottawa work traces back to government directly or through prime contractors, and that world runs on paperwork: proper invoices, clean records, and books that stand up when a prime or an auditor asks questions. Books that are current every day make that side of Ottawa business life routine instead of a scramble.
I already have a bookkeeper or accountant in Ottawa. How hard is switching?
The switch is free: we deal with your current provider directly, collect your file and history, and take over the monthly work. Any catch-up is scoped and priced before you commit. Your part is about an hour, and mid-year is fine.
Your Ottawa general contractor, books and taxes handled
One flat monthly price for incorporated Ontario businesses, quoted live on a short call.
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