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Gondaliya CPA

Notary Tax & HST Experts

Tax Accountant for Notaries in Ontario and Across Canada

Notarial, commissioner and signing fees are fully HST-taxable at 13%, so we get your registration, ITCs and Quick Method right, then capture every mobile-notary kilometre, E&O premium, commission-renewal cost and equipment claim. From loan-signing agents to commissioners of oaths, we keep your high-volume books clean and tell you the exact revenue level where incorporating starts to save you tax — with AFFORDABLE flat fees, a licensed CPA firm, and 1300+ five-star reviews.

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AFFORDABLE Notary Tax Accountant

A notary practice is a high-volume, low-value professional-services business, and the books turn on getting the fundamentals exactly right. Notarizing documents, commissioning oaths, certifying true copies and handling loan and real-estate signings are all fully HST-taxable at 13% — not exempt — so the day you cross the $30,000 small-supplier threshold, clean input-tax-credit tracking, and the Quick Method election become the difference between keeping cash and handing it to CRA. At Gondaliya CPA, we specialize in exactly this, providing AFFORDABLE flat-fee support that keeps you compliant and stops you paying more than you owe.

We work with mobile notaries, loan-signing agents, notary signing services and commissioners of oaths across Ontario and Canada. We tell you plainly what you can deduct — per-kilometre travel, E&O premiums, Notaries Act commission renewals, the seal and embosser, a home office — and the exact revenue level where incorporating starts putting money back in your pocket.

Let us handle the numbers so you can focus on the signings that actually pay you.

Gondaliya CPA team - accounting and tax services for notaries

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Accounting That Understands How a Notary Practice Actually Works

A notary business runs on a flood of small, taxable transactions, a mobile schedule, and equipment and insurance most accountants never think to claim. Get the HST treatment wrong, miss the mileage log, or leave the seal and E&O premium off the return, and you overpay CRA every single year. At Gondaliya CPA, we understand the financial reality of a notarial and signing practice and provide practical, notary-focused solutions across the GTA and all of Ontario.

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Fully Taxable Fees

Notarial, commissioner and signing fees carry 13% HST — register at $30,000, not later.

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Mobile Mileage

Travel to signings is deductible at 72¢ then 66¢ per km — only with a logbook.

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High-Volume Cash

Hundreds of small card and cash payments make clean records a CRA focus area.

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Low-Input Service

Few purchases means the Quick Method often beats claiming ITCs the standard way.

Stay Compliant and Minimize Your Notary Tax

For a notary or commissioner, staying onside with CRA and paying the least legal tax are the same job. We keep every HST and income-tax filing on schedule while claiming every deduction the rules allow, so nothing is missed and nothing invites a reassessment.

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Appointment, Commission & Record-Keeping

Your appointment under the Notaries Act and your commission renewal are conditions of practising, and the professional dues you pay to maintain them are deductible. We confirm your registration is current, that your fee schedule and invoices match your bank deposits, and that you hold the six years of records section 230 of the Income Tax Act requires. For a high-volume signing practice, a clean per-document journal protects you when CRA compares reported revenue against the cash and card payments flowing through your account.

HST & CRA Obligations for Notaries

Staying compliant means more than one return a year. Notarial and commissioner services are fully HST-taxable at 13%, so we register you at the $30,000 threshold, file GST/HST returns on the Quick Method or standard basis, claim input tax credits, and manage instalments and payroll where you employ staff. By monitoring the deductions CRA reviews most often, we reduce your audit exposure and keep your practice financially sound.

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Year-End Deliverables for Notaries

At year-end an incorporated notary needs a proper trial balance, a statement of operations, a statement of financial position, a T2 with Schedule 125 and 100 GIFI, and HST returns that tie to booked revenue. Where a lender is involved, you also need CPA-compiled financial statements. Our team prepares every deliverable on time and in compliance, so your file is audit-ready and financing-ready.

Accounting & Tax Experts for Notaries

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  • 60-Day Fees Matching Policy

Why Choose Our Accounting Services for Notaries?

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Tax Planning — Notary Expertise

We know the deductions that carry a signing practice: motor vehicle at your logbook percentage, business-use-of-home under ITA 18(12), the seal and embosser in Class 12, and E&O and commission-renewal costs. We claim every allowable amount and tell you which ones will not survive a CRA review.

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Consulting — End-to-End Bookkeeping & HST

Our bookkeeping is built for high-volume, low-value fee work. We reconcile hundreds of small card and cash payments, tie every notarial and signing fee to booked revenue, and file your HST returns on the Quick Method or standard basis, whichever remits less.

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CRA Representation — Audit & Objection Support

When CRA questions your mileage claim, your home office, or your reported cash, we prepare the response, file the Notice of Objection on Form T400A within the 90-day window, and pursue relief on Form RC4288 where penalties came from someone else’s error.

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Bookkeeping — Incorporation Readiness

We model the exact revenue level where incorporating pays for itself, then handle the section 85 rollover on Form T2057 so your equipment, goodwill, and client list move across without triggering tax.

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Notary Tax and Accounting Services in Ontario

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Corporate Tax Filing (T2) for Notaries

Professional T2 preparation with Schedule 125 reporting notarial and signing revenue, Schedule 8 CCA on equipment, and CRA compliance on every line.

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Bookkeeping & Accounting for Notaries

Per-document fee, cash and card bookkeeping with financial statements, clean records, and monthly reporting built for a high-volume signing practice.

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Payroll Services for Notaries

T4 and T4A payroll with PD7A remittances, ROEs, ESA vacation pay, and source deductions handled correctly for notaries who employ assistants or clerks.

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GST/HST Filing for Notaries

AFFORDABLE HST filing at 13% on notarial and signing fees, with Quick Method analysis and input tax credits claimed on equipment and supplies.

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Tax Planning for Notaries

Smart tax planning to protect the Small Business Deduction, set salary and dividends, capture every deduction, and time the section 85 rollover.

Corporate Catch-Up Filing for Notaries

File overdue T2 and HST years, rebuild missing fee and payment records, and get back into CRA compliance with accurate catch-up support.

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CRA Audit Resolution for Notaries

Expert support for cash-reporting, mileage and HST reviews, with objections, source-deduction issues, and RC4288 relief handled with confidence.

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CPA Financial Statements (Notice to Reader) for Notaries

CPA-compiled financial statements that banks and lenders accept for your notary corporation, presenting revenue and net income clearly.

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Incorporation Services for Notaries

Full incorporation including NUANS, articles, share structure, and the section 85 rollover from your unincorporated notary practice.

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Catch-Up Bookkeeping Services for Notaries

Reconstruct months of notarial fee receipts, disbursements and HST from your ledgers and bank feeds, delivering clean, CRA-ready books your notary practice can file and finance from.

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US Corporation & LLC Tax Filing for Notaries

For notaries with US clients or a cross-border LLC, we prepare Forms 1120, 1120-F and 5472 and coordinate the Canadian side so nothing is taxed twice.

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Voluntary Disclosure Program for Notaries

Come forward through the CRA Voluntary Disclosures Program on unreported notary fee income, filing an RC199 application that fixes past years while reducing penalties and interest.

Accounting & Tax Services Tailored for Notaries

Real, practitioner-level CPA expertise for mobile notaries, loan-signing agents, notary signing services and commissioners of oaths across Ontario and Canada — built for how a high-volume signing practice actually runs.

  • We prepare your T2 with GIFI, reporting notarial, commissioner and signing revenue on Schedule 125 and your balance sheet on Schedule 100, so the fully HST-taxable fees you collect are captured exactly where CRA’s matching program expects to see them.
  • We claim capital cost allowance on Schedule 8 with computers and scanners in CCA Class 50 at 55% and office furniture in Class 8 at 20%, and one notary recovered $6,300 of depreciation a prior preparer had buried in the wrong pool.
  • We keep active income under the $500,000 Small Business Deduction so your first half-million is taxed near the 12.2% Ontario small-business rate, and we watch the associated-corporation rules before CRA grinds that shared limit toward the higher general rate.
  • We file the T2 within six months of your fiscal year-end and settle any balance by the two-month due date, so a practice clearing $180,000 of net profit never carries the arrears interest CRA charges on a late balance owing.
  • We place the seal and embosser in Class 12 at 100% for a full first-year write-off and expense your low-cost journal supplies, so equipment central to your practice is deducted correctly instead of sitting undepreciated on the books.
  • We build your chart of accounts in QuickBooks Online or Xero so notarization, commissioning, certified-copy and loan-signing fees land on separate lines, giving the per-service revenue picture your T2 needs and surfacing where a $9,000 fee leak had been hiding.
  • We reconcile the hundreds of small card and cash payments a busy practice takes each month against your notary journal, because cash reporting is a CRA focus and unmatched deposits are the fastest route to an indirect-income audit.
  • We capture E&O premiums, courier, printing and commission-renewal receipts through Dext and attach them to each transaction, so a $7,500 operating-cost pool is fully documented instead of lost to a missing receipt when CRA asks for support.
  • We keep the six years of records section 230 of the Income Tax Act requires behind every signing you bill, mapping NotaryAssist or Notary Gadget exports into your ledger so your case-management app and your books never disagree.
  • We reconcile input tax credits on equipment, software and supplies each period against the HST you collect, and one mobile signing agent recovered credits on a $2,600 scanner-and-printer setup the previous bookkeeper had never claimed.
  • We run payroll through Wagepoint or ADP for notaries who employ signing assistants or clerks, issue T4 slips, and remit source deductions on the PD7A by the deadline so a missed remittance never triggers CRA’s 10% penalty.
  • We accrue ESA vacation pay at 4% and statutory holiday pay as they build, so a practice running a $60,000 assistant wage bill books the roughly $2,400 vacation liability rather than discovering it months after year-end.
  • We issue Records of Employment within five days of a separation and reconcile the T4 summary to the twelve PD7A remittances before the February 28 deadline, so a growing office never draws Service Canada or CRA complaints over late slips.
  • We split genuine subcontractors onto T4A slips from employees on T4, applying the CRA control-and-integration test, so paying a part-time signing agent as a contractor never lands you an assessment for both halves of CPP and EI plus penalties.
  • We catch a remittance shortfall before CRA does — one office had understated PD7A payments by $3,100 — and issue corrected slips, so year-end never reopens under a payroll examination or a demand for arrears interest.
  • We confirm your notarial, commissioner and signing fees are fully taxable and charge HST at 13% on every invoice, because CRA treats these services as taxable supplies, and failing to bill the tax leaves a shortfall that surfaces with interest on review.
  • We register you for HST the moment taxable revenue passes the $30,000 small-supplier threshold across four consecutive quarters, so a practice scaling fast is collecting and remitting on time instead of eating 13% it forgot to charge clients.
  • We file the Form GST74 Quick Method election where your low-input practice qualifies, remitting 8.8% of tax-included service revenue instead of 13% less credits, and one notary kept $2,100 of HST a year the standard method would have remitted.
  • We claim input tax credits on the 13% you pay on scanners, printers, software subscriptions and mobile-phone costs on line 108 of your return, a recovery a busy notary routinely leaves on the table every single filing period.
  • We match line 101 of your HST return to the notarial revenue on your T2, because CRA’s matching program compares the two and a mismatch is among the fastest ways a signing practice gets selected for a desk audit.
  • We set the salary-versus-dividend mix for owner-notaries, paying enough T4 salary to build RRSP room while the balance flows as dividends, so combined tax stays near the 12.2% small-business rate rather than the personal rate that reaches 53.53%.
  • We complete the section 85 rollover on Form T2057 when you incorporate, moving goodwill, your client list and equipment across at elected amounts, and one notary deferred $14,000 of tax a straight sale of those assets would have triggered.
  • We plan at least two years ahead so your shares qualify for the $1.25M Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption on qualified small business corporation shares, purifying passive assets so a future sale of the practice defers tax CRA would otherwise collect.
  • We time computer, scanner and furniture purchases before your fiscal year-end so the half-year rule and the 55% Class 50 and 20% Class 8 declining-balance rates give the largest first-year deduction against a profitable signing year.
  • We calculate RRSP room at 18% of prior-year earned income to the 2026 limit of $33,810 and time contributions to pull taxable income below the next Ontario bracket, a lever every incorporated notary should use alongside dividends.
  • We reconstruct notarial and signing revenue from bank deposits, e-transfers and payment-processor statements where no bookkeeping exists across your unfiled years, so CRA cannot arbitrarily assess your practice on its own estimate and overcharge you.
  • Late T2 filing costs 5% of the balance owing plus 1% per month up to twelve months, so we file your oldest unfiled year first to stop the penalty compounding and limit the arrears interest CRA charges your corporation.
  • We file the Voluntary Disclosures Program application on Form RC199 before CRA contacts you, because a disclosure accepted under the general program cancels penalties in full and gives 50% interest relief on the years preceding the three most recent.
  • We prepare and file the unfiled HST returns for every year your taxable fees passed $30,000, reconciling the 13% collected against input tax credits so the catch-up remittance is right and CRA cannot layer failure-to-file penalties on top.
  • We rebuild the undepreciated capital cost pools across the unfiled years so missed CCA on Class 50 computers, Class 8 furniture and the Class 12 seal is recovered, and one notary clawed back $5,400 of deductions instead of leaving them with CRA.
  • When CRA applies indirect verification of income to your cash-intensive practice, comparing deposits and lifestyle against reported fees, we prepare the source-and-application-of-funds reconciliation that closes the gap on paper before it closes on you.
  • We answer a mileage review with the logbook, odometer records and business-use calculation showing 72¢ per km on the first 5,000 and 66¢ after, inside the 30-day query deadline, because a claim disallowed for missing records cannot be restored later.
  • We defend your HST position when CRA questions the tax charged on notarial fees, showing the services are taxable supplies and the input tax credits claimed are supported, so nothing is assessed back to you with interest and penalty.
  • We file the Notice of Objection on Form T400A within 90 days of a reassessment, since missing that deadline removes your right to the Tax Court of Canada, and one signing agent overturned a $12,000 reassessment through this route.
  • We submit RC4288 Taxpayer Relief applications for penalties and interest caused by a prior accountant’s error or documented hardship, covering the ten calendar years preceding the request with the chronology CRA requires to exercise its discretion.
  • We prepare CSRS 4200 compilation engagement financial statements, the Notice to Reader a bank requires across two fiscal years before it approves the operating line or vehicle loan a mobile notary needs to fund equipment and travel between signings.
  • Your compiled statement of financial position presents receivables, equipment at net book value and the shareholder loan, giving a lender the picture a bare T2 cannot, and one notary freed $30,000 of financing once the statements were in hand.
  • We build the statement of operations with notarial, signing and commissioner revenue and operating expenses classified consistently across two years and tied to the T2 filed with CRA, so a lender sees a stable trend rather than reclassified noise.
  • The CSRS 4200 communication discloses that no audit or review was performed and sets out the basis of accounting and owner withdrawals, without which a bank and the Business Development Bank of Canada reject a self-employed file.
  • We deliver the compiled statements within 30 days of receiving your records and the year’s T2 figures, because a notary’s financing approval collapses when the lender’s conditional offer expires before the accountant produces the file.
  • We incorporate your practice under the Ontario Business Corporations Act with a NUANS name search and Articles of Incorporation, giving you limited liability and the roughly 12.2% Ontario small-business rate on active income the personal 53.53% rate cannot match.
  • We complete the section 85 rollover on Form T2057, transferring your goodwill, client list and equipment into the corporation at elected amounts, deferring the capital gain and recapture a straight sale of those assets would trigger for CRA.
  • We design common voting and non-voting share classes at incorporation so dividends can later be split with a spouse and the $1.25M Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption can be multiplied on qualified small business corporation shares at sale.
  • We open the corporation’s CRA Business Number, HST and payroll accounts within the first 30 days, re-register your HST on the Quick Method where it fits, and close the old accounts so you never remit the same fee revenue twice.
  • We structure the share register and set the first fiscal year-end up to 53 weeks after incorporation, deferring the corporation’s first T2 and CRA balance-due date, and one incorporating notary pushed $8,000 of tax into the following year.
  • We rebuild your books month by month, recording each notarial fee on the date the service was signed rather than when the client paid, so your revenue matches CRA’s accrual expectations and prior-year HST returns reconcile.
  • We separate the HST you charged on taxable notarizations and legal work from exempt or zero-rated items, then recompute each period’s net tax so your catch-up filings show the right $13 on every $100 fee.
  • We capture the home-office share of your rent, utilities and internet, plus subscriptions to notary software, e-signature platforms and your practice-management tools, posting each as a deductible expense the missing months left off your statements.
  • We record your professional liability insurance, provincial society dues and errors-and-omissions premiums in the correct periods, so these mandatory notary costs reduce taxable income in the years you actually paid them.
  • We deliver reconciled ledgers, trial balance and HST worksheets within 30 days, and one notary who had ignored three years of books recovered roughly $9,000 in overlooked disbursement and mileage deductions once we finished.
  • We prepare Form 1120 for your US C-corporation and Form 1120-F when a Canadian notary corporation earns US-source income, reporting the profits your cross-border closings and client work generate south of the border.
  • We file Form 5472 to disclose reportable transactions between your US entity and its foreign owner, avoiding the $25,000 penalty the IRS imposes on notary corporations that move fees across the border undocumented.
  • We analyze how the CRA and IRS each treat your US LLC, since Canada often views it as a corporation while the IRS treats it as disregarded, preventing the double taxation that traps unadvised notaries.
  • We coordinate the Canada-US treaty and foreign tax credits so US tax your notary corporation pays offsets Canadian tax on the same income, and we align both fiscal years so filings and credits actually match.
  • We track the April and June US deadlines separately from your Canadian T2, file the extensions where needed, and calculate estimated US payments so a notary billing $40,000 in US fees is never caught short.
  • We prepare your RC199 Voluntary Disclosures Program application, presenting the unreported notary fee income and the corrected years to the CRA before an audit begins, which is the only window the program’s relief stays open.
  • We assemble the amended returns, ledgers and HST schedules that prove your disclosure is complete, since a VDP application missing even one year of notary income can be rejected and lose all penalty relief.
  • We quantify the gross-negligence and late-filing penalties the CRA would otherwise assess, and one notary who disclosed $60,000 of unreported cash fees had penalties waived entirely, paying only the tax and reduced interest owing.
  • We correct HST you collected on notarizations but never remitted, filing the outstanding GST/HST returns inside the same disclosure so both your income tax and sales tax exposure are cleared in one coordinated submission.
  • We can open the process on a no-names basis to gauge the CRA’s response, then finalize your notary practice’s disclosure once terms are clear, protecting you from prosecution while bringing every unreported year current.

Notary Tax & HST Check

Six quick questions on your HST registration, mileage, deductions, equipment and whether it is time to incorporate. No fee shown.

1. Is your notarial and signing revenue over $30,000 but you are not yet registered for HST?

2. Are you remitting the full 13% HST without ever checking the Quick Method?

3. Do you travel to signings without keeping a motor-vehicle logbook?

4. Are your E&O insurance and commission-renewal dues going unclaimed?

5. Is your equipment — scanner, computer, seal and embosser — expensed without proper CCA treatment?

6. Has your revenue grown without you deciding whether to incorporate?

Free CPA Consultation for Notaries

Case Studies: Notary Accounting & Tax

Toronto Mobile Notary & Signing Agent — HST Registration & Mileage

The problem: The client ran a busy mobile notary and loan-signing service across the GTA, clearing well over $30,000 in signing and notarization revenue, yet had never registered for HST and had never charged the 13% its fully taxable fees required. Mileage between signings went completely unlogged, the scanner and printer were expensed rather than capitalized, and two prior years had been self-filed with no thought to the Quick Method.

What we did: We registered the practice for HST, filed the Form GST74 Quick Method election so fees were remitted at 8.8% instead of the full 13%, and built a motor-vehicle logbook capturing the per-kilometre claim on roughly 11,000 mobile kilometres. We set up a Class 50 CCA schedule for the equipment and cleaned up the two prior filings.

The result:

  • The Quick Method kept $2,100 of HST a year
  • Captured $3,400 of mileage on 11,000 mobile km
  • Recovered ITCs and CCA on a $2,600 equipment setup

Mississauga Notary Practice — Incorporation & Missed Deductions

The problem: A Mississauga notary was operating as a sole proprietor at the top personal marginal rate of 53.53%, with revenue that had grown well beyond what the owner needed to draw. The E&O insurance premium, the Notaries Act commission-renewal dues, and a home office used for document preparation had never been claimed, and there was no plan for the surplus building up in the practice.

What we did: We incorporated the practice under the Ontario Business Corporations Act, moved the goodwill and equipment across on a section 85 rollover so no gain was triggered, and applied the $500,000 Small Business Deduction so active income was taxed near 12.2%. We then captured every missed deduction — E&O, dues and home office under ITA 18(12) — going forward.

The result:

  • Cut the annual tax bill by $16,800 after incorporating
  • Deferred all gains through the section 85 rollover
  • Captured E&O, dues and home-office claims worth $4,900

Ottawa Notary & Commissioner — Cash Tracking & Bookkeeping

The problem: An Ottawa notary and commissioner of oaths was taking a flood of small card and cash payments for notarizations, commissioning and certified copies, with no clean system tying each fee to a document. Deposits and reported revenue did not reconcile, and with cash reporting a known CRA focus, the practice carried real exposure if an indirect-income review ever landed.

What we did: We built a per-document bookkeeping system in QuickBooks Online, mapped the notary journal to each fee line, and set up a cash-tracking process so every payment reconciles to a signing. We captured receipts through Dext and reconciled the account monthly, so the books are organized, current and ready for any CRA request.

The result:

  • Every fee now reconciled per document and per day
  • Monthly bookkeeping time cut by 8 hours
  • Cash-reporting exposure closed and audit-ready

Our Simple Process

How We Work With Notaries

Know Exact Fees within 2 Minutes NOW

Our clear, efficient process ensures every step is transparent, building trust and long-term client relationships.

Here’s a simplified process approach:
Step 1

Kickoff (Document Request)

Collect bank statements, your notary journal and fee schedule, prior returns, HST filings, and your commission-renewal details.

Step 2

First 30 Days (Cleanup & Setup)

Set up QuickBooks Online or Xero with Dext, confirm your HST registration and Quick Method position, and build the mileage and CCA schedules.

Step 3

Monthly Close

Monthly reconciliations of card and cash fees, receipt capture, HST tracking, and per-document journal review.

Step 4

Quarterly Planning Review

HST remittance review, deduction check on E&O, dues and mileage, and the incorporation break-even.

Step 5

Year-End Close & T2 Filing

Trial balance, financial statements, T2 with Schedule 125 and 100, HST reconciliation, and CRA preparation.

Transparent Pricing for Notaries

Affordable Pricing for Notaries

Know Exact Fees within 2 Minutes NOW

We believe in clear, upfront pricing so you know exactly what to expect. All fees include HST.

  • Tax Preparation (Notary, T2 corporate) — From $400
  • Tax Return Filing (T1 personal for you and family) — From $400
  • Tax Compliance Audit — FREE CRA audit support for our clients
  • Tax Strategy — FREE for our clients
  • Accounting Base Plan — From $100 per month
  • Bookkeeping Management — Free for our Accounting clients
  • Financial Reporting — Free for our Accounting clients
  • Business Formation — Flat $35
  • Incorporation Process — Flat $35
  • Entity Setup Assistance — Flat $35
  • Full-Service Payroll — From $125 per month

Payment is by Interac e-Transfer to info@gondaliyacpa.ca only. Security question: Not Applicable, as auto-deposit is enabled.

Meet Your Lead Notary Accountant

Meet your lead notary accountant. As your HST, signing-income and corporate tax adviser, you deal with the same two people every year.

Sharad Gondaliya CPA

Sharad Gondaliya, CPA

Principal

Bio

647-212-9559
sharad@gondaliyacpa.ca

Vandana Goel CPA

Vandana Goel, CPA

Accounting Specialist

Bio

647-250-0242
vandana@gondaliyacpa.ca

What Our Clients Say

1300+ five-star reviews from notaries, signing agents and small-business owners across Ontario and Canada.

Serving Notaries Across Ontario

Our CPA team provides specialized accounting and tax solutions for notaries, commissioners and signing agents throughout Ontario and across Canada. We understand how a high-volume signing practice actually operates, how HST applies to your fees, what CRA looks at on cash-intensive files, and when incorporating stops being optional.

Toronto (ON)

55 Queen St E Ste 1205, Toronto, ON M5C 1R6, Canada

+1 (647) 212-9559

9:00 AM – 8:30 PM (Mon – Sun)

Mississauga (ON)

5373 Bullrush Dr, Mississauga, ON, Canada

+1 (647) 212-9559

9:00 AM – 8:30 PM (Mon – Sun)

Brampton (ON)

4 Starhill Crescent, Brampton, ON L6R 2P9, Canada

+1 (647) 212-9559

9:00 AM – 8:30 PM (Mon – Sun)

Scarborough (ON)

24 Clementine Square, Scarborough, ON M1G 2V7, Canada

+1 (647) 212-9559

9:00 AM – 8:30 PM (Mon – Sun)

Vaughan (ON)

19 Cabinet Crescent, Woodbridge, ON L4L 6H9, Canada

+1 (647) 212-9559

9:00 AM – 8:30 PM (Mon – Sun)

Oshawa (ON)

210 Durham St, Oshawa, ON L1J 5R3, Canada

+1 (647) 212-9559

9:00 AM – 8:30 PM (Mon – Sun)

Ottawa (ON)

2090 Neepawa Ave a314, Ottawa, ON K2A 3L6, Canada

+1 (647) 212-9559

9:00 AM – 8:30 PM (Mon – Sun)

Etobicoke (ON)

60 Stevenson Rd #1601, Etobicoke, ON M9V 2B4, Canada

+1 (647) 212-9559

9:00 AM – 8:30 PM (Mon – Sun)

Hamilton (ON)

70 Starling Dr, Hamilton, ON L9A 0C5, Canada

+1 (647) 212-9559

9:00 AM – 8:30 PM (Mon – Sun)

Guelph (ON)

1155 Gordon St, Guelph, ON N1L 1S8, Canada

+1 (647) 212-9559

9:00 AM – 8:30 PM (Mon – Sun)

Windsor (ON)

4387 Guppy Ct, Windsor, ON N9G 2N8, Canada

+1 (647) 212-9559

9:00 AM – 8:30 PM (Mon – Sun)

North York (ON)

150 Graydon Hall Dr #912, North York, ON M3A 3B2, Canada

+1 (647) 212-9559

9:00 AM – 8:30 PM (Mon – Sun)

Notary Accounting & Tax FAQs

Should I incorporate my notary business?
Incorporating gives you limited liability, a combined Ontario rate near 12.2% on the first $500,000 of active income under the Small Business Deduction, and access to the $1.25M Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption on a future sale. As an unincorporated notary your profit is taxed at your full personal rate, reaching 53.53% in Ontario, whether you draw it or not. The decision usually turns on whether your signing revenue consistently exceeds what you need to withdraw, because that surplus is what a corporation lets you defer. Incorporation also brings annual T2 filing, a minute book, and higher compliance costs, so it is not free. We model the break-even on your actual numbers, and when the answer is yes we handle the incorporation and the section 85 rollover of your practice on Form T2057. When the answer is not yet, we say so and revisit it next year.
Do notaries charge HST?
Yes. Notarial, commissioner and signing services are fully taxable supplies, so once you are registered you charge 13% HST in Ontario on notarizations, commissioning of oaths, certified copies and loan and real-estate signings. This is not an optional charge and these fees are not exempt. You then remit the tax, less any input tax credits, or on the Quick Method, and keep the records that back it up.
When do I register for HST, and should I use the Quick Method?
You must register once taxable revenue passes the $30,000 small-supplier threshold in a single quarter or over four consecutive quarters. For a low-input service business like a notary practice, the Quick Method often remits less: you pay a flat 8.8% of tax-included revenue in Ontario instead of 13% net of credits, plus a 1% credit on your first $30,000. We file the Form GST74 election and compare both methods for you.
Can I deduct mileage as a mobile notary?
Yes, if you keep a logbook. Travel from your base to signings is business use, and CRA’s per-kilometre rate is 72 cents on the first 5,000 kilometres and 66 cents after. Without a logbook recording date, destination and distance, CRA can disallow the entire claim on review, so we set one up and reconcile it to your calendar and invoices.
Can I deduct my E&O insurance and commission-renewal dues?
Yes. Errors-and-omissions and professional-liability insurance premiums are deductible business expenses, as are the fees to maintain your appointment under the Notaries Act and to renew your commission. Professional dues tied to your practice are deductible too. We make sure each of these recurring costs is captured every year rather than missed.
Is a home office deductible for notaries?
Yes, at the business-use portion. Under ITA 18(12), business-use-of-home expenses are deductible on a reasonable basis, usually square footage, covering a share of utilities, insurance, property tax and mortgage interest or rent. The claim cannot create or increase a loss, but any unused amount carries forward indefinitely. If you meet clients or prepare documents at home, this is a real deduction.
How do I claim my equipment — scanner, computer and seal?
Through capital cost allowance, in the correct class. Computers and scanners go in Class 50 at 55%, office furniture in Class 8 at 20%, and your notary seal and embosser in Class 12 at 100% for a full first-year write-off. We build the CCA schedule and claim input tax credits on the HST you paid, so a $2,600 scanner-and-printer setup is recovered rather than left on the table.
How do I account for signing-agent income?
Loan-signing and real-estate signing-agent revenue is taxable business income and, once you are registered, carries 13% HST like your other fees. We record it alongside the courier, printing and mileage costs it generates so your true margin per signing is clear, and we keep it reconciled to the payment processor or company that pays you.
How do I handle high-volume, low-value cash payments?
With a per-document journal and tight bookkeeping. A notary practice takes many small card and cash payments, and cash reporting is a CRA focus, so every fee should tie to a document and a deposit. We reconcile the account monthly, capture receipts through Dext, and keep the trail that closes the gap before an indirect-income review ever opens it.
How much corporate tax does a notary pay in Ontario?
An incorporated notary earning active business income pays a combined federal-Ontario rate of about 12.2% on the first $500,000 under the Small Business Deduction. Income above that is taxed at the higher general rate. Money you draw personally is then taxed as salary or dividends. This is well below the 53.53% top personal rate an unincorporated notary faces on the same profit.
What can a notary write off?
Mileage on a logbook, E&O and liability insurance, Notaries Act commission-renewal and professional dues, a home office under ITA 18(12), your seal, embosser, scanner, computer and furniture through CCA, software subscriptions, courier and printing, cell phone and internet at the business portion, and meals and entertainment at 50%. We claim every allowable amount and flag anything that will not survive a CRA review.
Self-employed or incorporated — which is better for a notary?
It depends on your revenue and how much you draw. As a self-employed notary you file a T2125 and June 15 is your deadline, but all profit is taxed personally. Incorporated, you file a T2 with Schedule 125 and 100 and can defer tax at 12.2% on income you leave in the company. Once signing revenue consistently exceeds what you need to live on, incorporating usually wins. We model both for your numbers.
What records and software should a notary keep?
Keep six years of records under section 230 of the Income Tax Act: your notary journal, fee schedule, invoices, bank and processor statements, and receipts. For software, QuickBooks Online or Xero handles the books, Dext captures receipts, and notary-specific apps like NotaryAssist or Notary Gadget log each signing. We map those exports into your ledger so your journal and your books always agree.

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Notary Accounting & Tax Done Right.

T2 corporate filing, HST at 13% with Quick Method, mobile-notary mileage, E&O and commission-renewal dues, equipment CCA and the incorporation decision under one roof. AFFORDABLE flat fees, no hourly billing. Licensed CPA Ontario. 1300+ five-star reviews. 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee.



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