About UsPricingReviewsContact UsClient Portal loginBook a Free 30-Min Call
About UsPricingReviewsContact UsClient Portal loginBook a Free 30-Min Call
Services
Get caught up
Catch-Up BookkeepingFrom $1,800Books & payroll
BookkeepingFrom $350/monthPayrollGet a quoteSR&ED ClaimsEnd-to-end SR&ED claims, quoted after consultationSR&ED for Software CompaniesQuoted after consultationSR&ED-Ready BookkeepingBooks + T2 for SR&ED claimsTax filing
Corporate Tax (T2)From $800 · nil T2 from $249GST/HST Filing$150 per returnPersonal Tax (T1)From $110 · students from $49Sole Proprietor Tax (T1 + T2125)From $300Start & grow
IncorporationFrom $499 + gov feesVirtual CFOFrom $2,500/monthAI Consulting & AutomationFor small businessesIndustries
Construction & tradesConsultantsTech startupsReal estateHealthcareSee all industries →More
PricingService areasAll services →Accounting and Tax for Ontario Plumbers and Plumbing Companies
Job costing, T5018 slips, holdbacks, vans and tools handled by a CPA-led accounting firm that understands service calls and new-build rough-ins.
24/7 receptionist, a real person answers.
- Every return is reviewed by a CPA
- No surprise bills
- Reply within one business day
- 24/7 receptionist: a real person answers
- QuickBooks Online, Xero and Dext
- Rated 5.0 stars from 29 Google reviews (read our reviews)
T-Ledgers is a CPA-led accounting firm working with Ontario plumbers, from licensed sole proprietors with one van to plumbing companies with apprentices, service techs and new-construction crews. Wajahat Ajmal, CPA, FCCA, has been practising since 2020. We handle bookkeeping, HST, payroll and corporate and personal tax, and every return is reviewed by a CPA.
Plumbing businesses often run two kinds of work at once: quick service calls paid on the spot and longer renovation or new-build contracts with progress billing and holdbacks. Each needs different bookkeeping, and both feed into your HST, T5018 and year-end numbers.
Plumbing tax and bookkeeping issues we handle
Rules, rates and thresholds change. We confirm the current figure for your situation on the call before relying on it.
Job costing for service and contract work
We set up your books so each job, or each type of work, shows its own revenue, materials and labour. That tells you which jobs actually make money and gives you real numbers when you price the next bid.
Holdbacks and progress billing
On construction contracts, the payer usually holds back 10% of each payment until the holdback is due. For income tax, a holdback generally isn’t receivable until it becomes due, and HST on a holdback generally isn’t due until the holdback is paid or payable. We track holdbacks separately so you don’t pay tax early.
Law: Construction Act (Ontario) s.22(1) (10% holdback); Income Tax Act s.12(1)(a) and 12(1)(b) (amounts received in advance and amounts receivable); Excise Tax Act s.168(7) (tax on retained consideration / holdbacks).
T5018 slips for subcontractors
If construction activities are your main source of business income, you generally have to report payments to subcontractors on T5018 slips. We keep the subcontractor details and totals ready so the slips and summary are filed on time.
WSIB in construction
Most businesses doing construction work in Ontario need WSIB coverage, and some independent operators and executive officers need it too. We record premiums correctly and keep your clearance certificate requirements on the radar.
Vans, tools and equipment
Work vans and pickups, drain cameras, jetters and power tools go on your capital cost allowance schedule. Whether a van is a “passenger vehicle” with cost limits depends on how it’s built and used. Employed plumbers and apprentices may also be able to deduct part of the cost of new tools.
Law: Income Tax Act s.20(1)(a) (capital cost allowance); Income Tax Regulations s.1100(1) and Schedule II (CCA classes); Income Tax Act s.248(1) (“automobile”, “passenger vehicle”); Income Tax Act s.8(1)(s) (tradesperson’s tools).
Apprentices and payroll
Plumbing is a compulsory trade in Ontario, so many shops employ registered apprentices. We run payroll with the right source deductions and check whether your apprentice wages qualify for the federal apprenticeship job creation credit.
Law: Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021 (Ontario) (compulsory trades); Income Tax Act s.153(1) (source deductions); Income Tax Act s.127(9) (“apprenticeship expenditure”).
HST on materials and jobs
You charge HST on most jobs and claim input tax credits on the HST you pay for fixtures, pipe and fittings. We make sure every supplier invoice is captured so you don’t leave credits on the table.
Key rules at a glance
← Swipe to compare →
| Rule | What it means for you | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Construction holdback | 10% held back on contracts until due | Construction Act (Ontario) s.22(1) (10% holdback) |
| Holdback timing for HST | HST generally due when the holdback is paid or payable | Excise Tax Act s.168(7) (tax on retained consideration / holdbacks) |
| T5018 reporting | Report subcontractor payments if construction is your main income | Income Tax Regulations s.238 (T5018 construction payments) |
| WSIB in construction | Coverage is mandatory for most construction businesses | Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 s.12.2(1) (mandatory construction coverage) |
| Tradesperson’s tools | Employed plumbers may deduct part of new tool costs | Income Tax Act s.8(1)(s) (tradesperson’s tools) |
| Apprenticeship credit | Federal credit on eligible apprentice wages | Income Tax Act s.127(9) (“apprenticeship expenditure”) |
Who we work with
- Licensed plumbers working as sole proprietors
- Residential service and repair companies
- New-construction and rough-in plumbing contractors
- Drain and sewer specialists
- Shops with apprentices and service techs
- Plumbing and heating combination contractors
T-Ledgers services for plumbing businesses
- T5018 and holdback tracking. Subcontractor slips and holdback schedules kept current through the year.
- Monthly bookkeeping. From $500/month (Scale), with books closed by the 10th; quarterly bookkeeping from $350/month (Growth). Your fixed fee is confirmed after a free call (see bookkeeping).
- Catch-up bookkeeping, from $1,800 per year. We rebuild past years and file what’s overdue (see catch-up bookkeeping).
- Bookkeeping Review, $195/month or $295/quarter. For owners who keep their own books.
- GST/HST returns, $150 per return. (see GST/HST services).
- Payroll. Quoted after a free call (see payroll services).
- Corporate (T2) and personal (T1) tax. Corporate returns quoted after a free call; personal tax returns from $110 + HST/GST, with your final price confirmed after a free call. Owner T1s can be prepared alongside the T2 (see corporate tax and personal tax).
- Virtual CFO, from $2,500/month. Cash flow, margins and growth decisions (see Virtual CFO).
Prices are + HST/GST. Anything without a listed price is quoted after a free call, and you get the price in writing before any work starts.
How we work with plumbing businesses
- Free call. We ask about your mix of service and contract work, your crew and how your records are kept.
- Written price. Scope and price in writing before any work starts.
- Setup. Job or work-type tracking, holdback accounts, supplier feeds and Dext for receipts from the van.
- Monthly rhythm. Books closed monthly, HST filed on time, payroll and subcontractor records kept current.
- Year-end. T5018, CCA on vans and tools, T2 and T1, all reviewed by a CPA.
Why plumbing businesses choose T-Ledgers
- We know how plumbing businesses run. Service-call cash, progress draws, holdbacks and apprentice payroll are everyday topics for us.
- CPA-led, start to finish. T-Ledgers was founded by Wajahat Ajmal, CPA, FCCA. Every return is reviewed by a CPA before it's filed.
- No surprise bills. You get the scope and the price in writing before we start. If the work changes, we agree the new price with you first.
- Price matching, agreed up front. Have a comparable written quote? Bring it to us before you sign your proposal. We can only match a price when it's agreed before the proposal is signed.
- Fast, human answers. We reply within one business day, and our 24/7 receptionist means a real person answers when you call 866-254-5368.
- In person or online. Meet us in person, by appointment only, at our Etobicoke office (102-89 Skyway Ave, Etobicoke, ON M9W 6R4) or our Mississauga office (100 Matheson Blvd E #204, Mississauga, ON L4Z 3P8), or work with us entirely online.
- Your software, set up properly. We work in QuickBooks Online and Xero, and use Dext so receipts go in with a photo.
Meet your CPA
Wajahat Ajmal, CPA, FCCA, Founder, T-Ledgers Accounting. Verify my CPA Ontario membership.
I started my career as an audit associate at KPMG. Since then I’ve worked as an independent contractor for a tax filing company, preparing returns and handling client questions. I hold a BSc in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University and an MSc in Professional Accountancy from University College London. I’m a Chartered Professional Accountant in Ontario and a Fellow of the ACCA. I started taking on my own clients in 2020 and founded T-Ledgers in 2023.
Every return the firm files is reviewed by a CPA. You can read more about the firm on our About page.
What our clients say
Read more on our client reviews page.
DIY vs a generalist firm vs T-Ledgers
← Swipe to compare →
| DIY | Generalist firm | T-Ledgers BEST VALUE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holdbacks | Taxed as income too early | Often missed | ✓Tracked separately; HST and income timed correctly |
| T5018 slips | Easy to forget | Year-end scramble | ✓Subcontractor details kept current |
| Vans and tools | Expensed by mistake | Year-end only | ✓Asset register kept current |
| Who checks the return before it's filed | You do | Depends on the firm and who's assigned | ✓Every return is reviewed by a CPA |
| How you're billed | Software fees plus your own time | Often hourly; the final bill can vary | ✓Scope and price in writing up front. No surprise bills |
| Getting an answer | Search online or wait on CRA phone lines | Varies by firm | ✓Reply within one business day; 24/7 receptionist, a real person answers |
| Software | Whatever you set up yourself | May ask you to switch to their system | ✓QuickBooks Online, Xero and Dext |
| Meeting face to face | Not applicable | Varies | ✓In person by appointment in Etobicoke or Mississauga, or fully online |
| Price matching | Not applicable | Rare | ✓Available if agreed before you sign your proposal |
Frequently asked questions: Plumbing
Generally not until the holdback becomes due. HST on the holdback is generally due when it’s paid or becomes payable.
If construction activities are your main source of business income, generally yes, for payments to subcontractors.
Yes. Job-level reports show your real material and labour costs so your next bid is based on numbers.
The business share of a work van goes on your CCA schedule. Some vans are treated as passenger vehicles with cost limits; we check how yours is classified.
Employed tradespeople, including plumbers, may be able to deduct part of the cost of new tools they must supply for work.
Most construction businesses in Ontario do. We record premiums and help you keep track of clearance requirements.
Yes, with CPP, EI and income tax withheld and T4s issued. We use QuickBooks Online Payroll or Wagepoint.
There’s a federal credit for eligible apprentice wages in the first two years of the apprenticeship. We check eligibility each year.
It can make sense once profits are steady. We look at your numbers before recommending it.
On most jobs in Ontario, yes, once you’re registered. We set up the right tax codes for your invoices.
Yes, as input tax credits on business purchases, as long as you keep the supplier invoices.
Yes. We rebuild the records and file overdue returns in the right order.
GST/HST returns are $150 per return, catch-up bookkeeping starts from $1,800 per year, the Bookkeeping Review is $195/month or $295/quarter (from $450 per review for complex books). Payroll and corporate (T2) returns are quoted after a free call. Personal tax returns from $110 + HST/GST, with your final price confirmed after a free call. Prices are + HST/GST. You get the price in writing before any work starts.
Yes, if you have a comparable written quote and bring it to us before you sign your proposal. We can only match a price when it’s agreed before the proposal is signed.
Yes. Snap receipts with Dext, share documents through our client portal and talk by phone or video. You can also meet us in Etobicoke or Mississauga by appointment.
Book a free call through our contact page or call 866-254-5368. We reply within one business day.
Keep your plumbing business’s books as tidy as your rough-ins
Book a free call to talk about job costing, holdbacks and your year-end. We reply within one business day, and a real person answers 24/7 at 866-254-5368.
Reviewed by Wajahat Ajmal, CPA, FCCA. Updated October 15, 2026.
Related services: Bookkeeping · Catch-up bookkeeping · Corporate taxes · Personal tax · Payroll · Virtual CFO · Contact us
Related industries: Construction · HVAC · Self-employed · All industries
Rates and thresholds change, so we link to the official sources for current figures.