Accounting for photographers in Ontario
Photographers mix session fees, print and product sales, and gear that's written off over time, often as a one-person corporation.
CRA EFILE authorized · Every filing signed by an accountant · Switching is free — about an hour of your time
taxifi · Photographers
This month
- Bookkeeping Current
- Payroll & source deductions Filed
- HST Filed
- Year-end tax (T2) On track
The problems we take off your plate
Sessions and product sales
Shoot fees and print or album sales are tracked separately so you can see what each earns.
Gear written off over time
Cameras, lenses, and lighting are claimed through capital cost allowance, tracked correctly by your accountant.
Income that comes in waves
Wedding and seasonal work is lumpy; we keep the books current so tax is set aside as you earn.
What’s included
Published prices for incorporated Ontario photographers. Everything below is handled.
- Bookkeeping for session and product revenue
- Gear tracked for capital cost allowance
- HST returns prepared and filed
- Expense and home-studio 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 |
Licences, deliverables, and equipment written off over time
Photography income can arrive as a service, a licence, or a product, and the distinction matters. A shoot, a usage licence for a term, an album, and stock sales can each carry different treatments — and clients outside Canada raise the export question, where services to non-residents can be zero-rated when the conditions are met.
Equipment is the other half of a photographer's tax picture. Cameras, lenses, lighting, and computers are generally capital assets deducted over time through capital cost allowance rather than expensed at purchase, and the business-use share of a vehicle or home studio needs support. Session deposits, meanwhile, are liabilities until the shoot happens. None of this is hard; all of it needs a setup decision.
Common questions
Can I write off my camera gear?
Equipment is generally claimed over time through capital cost allowance, tracked correctly by your accountant.
Do you work with one-person photography corporations?
Yes. Incorporated photographers are a good fit.
Do I charge HST on photography for a client outside Canada?
Possibly not — services to non-resident clients can qualify as zero-rated exports when specific conditions are met, meaning no HST charged while input tax credits remain claimable. Because the conditions depend on the client and where the work is used, confirm the treatment for your contracts rather than assuming.
How do I write off camera gear?
Generally over time through capital cost allowance rather than as a full deduction in the purchase year, with the applicable class depending on the equipment. Financing interest is typically deductible as paid. Setting the asset classes up correctly once means the deduction runs on its own afterward.
Books and taxes for your photography business, 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