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PricingService areasAll services →Accounting and Tax for Ontario Staffing and Temporary Help Agencies
High-volume payroll, EHT, WSIB, HST and the gap between paying workers and getting paid, handled by a CPA-led accounting firm.
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 staffing agencies, temporary help agencies and recruitment firms, from new agencies placing their first workers to established firms running weekly payroll. 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.
Staffing is a payroll business first. You pay workers every week or two, your clients pay you on 30- or 60-day terms, and every pay run brings source deductions, EHT and WSIB. Getting the numbers right keeps you compliant and keeps cash moving.
Staffing 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.
High-volume payroll and remittances
Assignment workers are generally your employees for payroll purposes, so you withhold CPP, EI and income tax, remit on time and issue T4s. Larger payrolls bring more frequent remittance deadlines. We run payroll in QuickBooks Online Payroll or Wagepoint and keep remittances on schedule.
Ontario rules for temporary help agencies
Ontario’s Employment Standards Act has a dedicated part for temporary help agencies, covering assignment employees, what fees can be charged and record-keeping, and the province requires agencies and recruiters to be licensed. We keep the payroll records those rules expect.
Employer Health Tax
Ontario employers pay EHT once total Ontario payroll is above the exemption, and associated employers share one exemption. Staffing payrolls grow fast, so we track your EHT position through the year.
WSIB premiums
Agencies generally report insurable earnings and pay WSIB premiums for their assignment workers. We reconcile WSIB to payroll so the year-end reconciliation matches.
HST on placement and staffing fees
Staffing and placement fees charged to Ontario clients are generally subject to HST. We set up invoicing so HST is charged correctly and claim input tax credits on your costs.
Cash flow between payroll and receivables
We track receivables by client and age, so you know who’s paying late. Factoring and lines of credit are common in staffing; we record the fees properly and help you plan cash for each pay run.
Incorporated contractors and PSB risk
Some workers you place are incorporated contractors. If a contractor’s corporation is effectively providing an employee’s services, it may be a personal services business, which is taxed at a much higher rate. We flag the risk for contractors you work with.
Key rules at a glance
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| Rule | What it means for you | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Source deductions | Withhold and remit CPP, EI and tax for assignment workers | Income Tax Act s.153(1) (source deductions) |
| Temporary help agencies | Ontario ESA rules for agencies and assignment employees | Employment Standards Act, 2000 (Ontario) Part XVIII.1 (temporary help agencies and recruiters; licensing, s.74.1.1 and s.74.1.2) |
| Employer Health Tax | EHT on Ontario payroll above the exemption | Employer Health Tax Act s.2.1(2) ($1,000,000 exemption for 2020 to 2028) |
| WSIB | Premiums on insurable earnings | Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 (Ontario) |
| HST on fees | HST generally applies to staffing and placement fees | Excise Tax Act s.165 (GST/HST imposed) |
| Personal services business | Higher tax for incorporated “employees” | Income Tax Act s.125(1) and 125(7) (small business deduction; “personal services business”) |
Who we work with
- Temporary help agencies
- Light industrial and warehouse staffing firms
- Office and administrative staffing firms
- Healthcare and personal support staffing agencies
- IT and professional recruitment firms
- New agencies setting up payroll for the first time
T-Ledgers services for staffing businesses
- Payroll for assignment workers. Weekly or bi-weekly runs, remittances, T4s, EHT and WSIB reconciliations, quoted after a free call (see payroll services).
- 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).
- 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 staffing businesses
- Free call. We ask about your worker count, pay cycle, clients and current payroll setup.
- Written price. Scope and price in writing before any work starts.
- Setup. Payroll, timesheet imports, client billing and HST codes set up.
- Every pay run. Payroll processed, remittances made on time, receivables tracked.
- Year-end. T4s, EHT and WSIB reconciliations, T2, all reviewed by a CPA.
Why staffing businesses choose T-Ledgers
- We understand staffing payroll. Assignment workers, EHT, WSIB and the cash gap between payroll and receivables are part of our normal conversation.
- 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll remittances | Missed deadlines and penalties | Done, but cash planning separate | ✓Remitted on time with cash planned for each run |
| EHT and WSIB | Reconciled at year-end, if at all | Year-end only | ✓Tracked through the year |
| Receivables | Spreadsheet | Monthly totals | ✓Aged by client so late payers show up early |
| 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: Staffing
For payroll purposes they generally are, so you withhold and remit source deductions and issue T4s.
QuickBooks Online Payroll or Wagepoint.
Yes, weekly or bi-weekly.
Yes. Ontario requires temporary help agencies and recruiters to hold a licence under the Employment Standards Act.
When total Ontario payroll is above the exemption. Associated employers share one exemption.
Generally, yes. We reconcile WSIB to payroll.
Staffing and placement fees to Ontario clients are generally subject to HST.
It can bridge the gap between payroll and receivables. We record the fees and compare the cost with other options.
Once the debt is established as uncollectible, it can generally be deducted as a bad debt.
Yes, but if the contractor is really providing an employee’s services, their corporation may be a personal services business.
Most agencies are, for liability reasons. We review your structure.
Yes. We work out what’s owed and file what’s overdue.
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 every pay run on time
Book a free call to talk about payroll, EHT and cash flow. 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: Consultants · Healthcare · All industries
Rates and thresholds change, so we link to the official sources for current figures.