Accounting for graphic designers in Ontario
Independent designers and small studios bill projects and retainers, use contractors, and often work as a one-person corporation.
CRA EFILE authorized · Every filing signed by an accountant · Switching is free — about an hour of your time
taxifi · Graphic Designers
This month
- Bookkeeping Current
- Payroll & source deductions Filed
- HST Filed
- Year-end tax (T2) On track
The problems we take off your plate
Projects and retainers
Project and retainer revenue is tracked cleanly so you always know where the studio stands.
Contractors
Payments to other creatives are tracked and reported correctly, distinct from your own draw.
One-person-corporation expenses
Home-studio, software, and equipment costs are tracked and documented so nothing deductible is missed.
What’s included
Published prices for incorporated Ontario graphic designers. Everything below is handled.
- Project and retainer bookkeeping
- Contractor (T4A) reporting
- HST returns prepared and filed
- Home-studio and expense tracking
- Year-end corporate tax (T2), from $1,000 a year
| Area | A typical setup | With taxifi |
|---|---|---|
| Your books | Weeks or months behind | Current every day |
| Year-end (T2) | A spring scramble, billed extra | Included, no surprise invoice |
| Your accountant | Metered by the hour | Unlimited questions, flat monthly |
Accounting for graphic designers by city: Ottawa · Toronto · Mississauga · Hamilton · London · Kitchener-Waterloo · Windsor · Kingston
Exports, place of supply, and licensing your own work
A designer with US or overseas clients is in a different HST position from one billing only Ontario. Services supplied to non-resident clients can be zero-rated exports when the conditions are met — no HST charged, input tax credits still claimable — and generally taxable when they are not. The conditions are technical enough that assuming either answer is a mistake.
Licensing adds a second layer. Selling a logo outright, licensing usage for a term, and providing ongoing design service can carry different treatments, and contracts written loosely make the tax question harder than it needed to be. Both issues are settled at setup: clear contract terms, a correct HST configuration, and books that separate domestic from export revenue every month.
Common questions
I'm an incorporated designer. Is that a fit?
Yes. Incorporated designers and studios are a core fit.
Can you handle contractor payments?
Yes. Contractor payments are tracked and reported correctly.
Do I charge HST to clients outside Canada?
Often no — services to non-resident clients can qualify as zero-rated exports, which means no HST while your input tax credits remain claimable. The qualifying conditions depend on the client and where the service is consumed, so have your actual contracts reviewed rather than applying a blanket rule.
Is licensing artwork treated differently from selling it?
It can be. An outright transfer, a term licence, and ongoing service are different supplies, and vague contracts leave the treatment ambiguous. Designers who license work repeatedly benefit from having standard contract language and a matching bookkeeping treatment set up once.
Books and taxes for your design studio, done
Bookkeeping from $99 a month, accountant-reviewed from $299, corporate T2 from $1,000 a year. Prices are published; a call confirms the fit.
Get Started