Local service guide
Tax Preparation and Accounting in Burnaby
For Tax Preparation and Accounting in Burnaby, choose a preparer who can explain how they will handle your employment income, investments, rental records or property changes, and request a written scope and fee before hiring. If you hire a CPA firm, check its registration and the practitioner’s public practice licence category through CPABC. Confirm who will handle your provincial speculation and vacancy tax declaration: Burnaby falls within the designated taxable area, and covered residential owners must declare each year. [1] [2] [3]
Choose help that fits your household
Start with a short description of your tax year before requesting a quote. Tell the preparer about income sources, rental activity, investment sales, a home purchase or sale, and any tax notice you need help answering. Have them identify which records they need to review before confirming the scope.
For a straightforward employment-income return, compare a preparation-only engagement with doing the return yourself. If you have rental activity, incomplete records or a property ownership change, request a consultation that addresses those issues. Choose someone who explains their approach and identifies information they still need.
Separate recurring accounting from annual tax preparation in your request. You might want someone to organize rental transactions throughout the year, prepare the return, or provide both services. Request a named contact and agree on who will answer questions after submission.
Check CPA status and the engagement
CPABC maintains separate member and firm directories. Its firm listings show licensed practitioners, their licence categories and references to named disciplinary actions, if any. CPABC explains that a firm’s permitted public practice services depend on the licence categories its members hold. Use that information to check the firm and the person assigned to your work. [1]
A missing member listing needs further checking. CPABC allows some members to opt out for approved safety or privacy reasons and offers assistance with membership confirmation. Contact CPABC to resolve an unclear status rather than drawing a conclusion from a missing search result. [1]
Request an engagement letter that names the tax year, work included, your responsibilities and the completion target. Discuss how the firm will transfer sensitive records, who reviews the return, and how you will approve it. Confirm whether advice, amendments and responses to tax notices require another engagement.
Compare fees using the same scope
Request an itemized quote based on your records and the work you need. Describe the same work to each candidate so you can compare what you receive for the fee. Have each preparer identify exclusions and the circumstances that would change the quoted amount.
Check whether the quote covers record organization, rental or investment schedules, a spouse’s return, property declaration help and a review meeting. For hourly work, request an estimate and a point at which the preparer must obtain your approval before continuing. Confirm applicable taxes and the payment schedule.
Agree on a handover date for your records and have the preparer confirm which filing and payment deadlines apply to your circumstances. For an overdue return or notice, provide the document at the start and request a clear first action. Confirm the scope for earlier tax years before accepting the quote.
Plan with the correct tax year
B.C. publishes different personal income tax brackets and rates for 2025 and 2026. The lowest provincial rate is 5.06% for 2025 and 5.60% for 2026. Tell the preparer whether you need an earlier return completed or advice about income earned during 2026, and have them use the corresponding year’s rules. [5]
B.C. applies its rates cumulatively across taxable-income brackets. A higher bracket rate applies to the income within that bracket. Have the accountant explain your calculation using your taxable income and circumstances, rather than treating one provincial rate as your total tax bill. [5]
B.C. lowest provincial income tax rate by tax year
Local details that affect your job
Assign the Burnaby property declaration
The Province lists Burnaby within the speculation and vacancy tax area. Covered residential owners must declare each year by March 31 for the previous tax year, even when their information has not changed. Each person on title must make a separate declaration, including spouses. Confirm whether your engagement includes help with this task, and gather each owner’s declaration letter. The Province treats this declaration, Vancouver’s empty homes tax and the home owner grant as separate obligations or programs. [2] [3]
Keep the home owner grant separate
Burnaby sends property tax notices in early June for payment at the beginning of July. The Province administers home owner grant applications. Burnaby says eligible owners must claim the grant by the property tax due date to avoid a late payment penalty. Assign responsibility for checking eligibility and submitting the claim rather than assuming your income tax preparer handles it. Use the due date on your notice. [4]
Track the 2027 sewer billing change
Burnaby says 2026 is the last year it charges Sewer Parcel Tax on the property tax notice; starting in 2027, it will charge it on the utility notice. If you keep rental-property accounts, tell the accountant about this change and retain both notices so they can reconcile charges without duplicating or overlooking the sewer amount. [4]
Match the engagement to the task
| Your situation | Help to request | Question before hiring |
|---|---|---|
| Employment income and organized slips | Personal return preparation | Which review and follow-up services does the fee include? |
| Rental income or incomplete property records | Return preparation plus record review or cleanup | Can you quote cleanup separately and identify missing documents? |
| Residential property in the designated tax area | Speculation and vacancy tax declaration assistance | Who handles each owner’s separate declaration? |
| A tax notice or an earlier return | A scoped review of the notice or tax year | What action will you take first, and what will it cost? |
Your hiring checklist
- Describe your income sources, property transactions and unresolved tax questions before requesting a quote.
- Gather the prior return, assessment notices, income slips and supporting receipts.
- Organize rental income and expenses by property, keeping personal transactions separate.
- List missing records and ask how the preparer will address them.
- Check a proposed CPA practitioner and firm through CPABC.
- Request a written scope, itemized fee and approval process for additional work.
- Assign responsibility for property declarations and grant applications.
- Agree on record delivery, review and completion dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does hiring a CPA cover all accounting services?
Ask about the specific practitioner and engagement. CPABC says a firm’s authorized public practice services depend on its members’ licence categories. Check the firm listing and have the practitioner confirm that their authorization covers your requested work. [1]
Can one spouse declare for both property owners?
The Province requires each person on title to make a separate speculation and vacancy tax declaration, even when the other owner is a spouse or relative. Ask the preparer how they will help each owner complete their declaration. [3]
What should I bring for property declaration help?
For an individual declaration, the Province lists the declaration letter, social insurance number and date of birth. Ask the preparer how to provide this information through their agreed secure process. Tell them about ownership arrangements that may require further information. [3]
Does the chart show what my accountant will charge?
The chart shows published B.C. provincial income tax rates for the lowest bracket in two tax years. It provides planning context. Request a separate quote for professional fees and a calculation based on your circumstances. [5]
Sources and scope
This guide combines the sources below with practical planning guidance. Figures apply to the stated geography and period; request a written quote for your property.