Corporate Tax Accountant in Calgary

Calgary seasons, and how they change the accounting work

Calgary has a humid continental climate with dry winters. Average temperatures are about 16.9 degrees Celsius in July and minus 7.6 degrees in January, with about 418.8 millimetres of precipitation a year, including 128.8 centimetres of snow, and about 2,396 hours of sunshine a year. Winters are cold but highly variable, often broken by warm Chinook winds, and June is the wettest month. That pattern shows up directly in the accounting calendar for Calgary businesses.

Winter, November to March. This is year end and payroll season. It is the right time to close the books, reconcile payroll and CPP and EI, prepare T4 and T5 slips, and clean up bookkeeping before tax season. Chinook swings can change work patterns quickly, but the filing calendar does not move, so winter bookkeeping discipline matters for Calgary energy, construction, and service businesses.

Spring, April to May. Personal tax season peaks here. The personal filing deadline in Canada is April 30, with self employed filers due June 15 for filing, while tax owed is still due April 30. Spring is also when corporate year ends and GST and HST quarters need to be closed cleanly, before summer project work peaks.

Summer, June to August. Summer is peak season for Calgary construction, tourism, hospitality, and the Calgary Stampede period, with longer days and more seasonal staff. June is also the wettest month, so project delays and extra payroll runs need to be tracked carefully. That means more payroll, more GST and HST on materials and subcontractors, and more expense tracking.

Autumn, September to October. Autumn is planning season. It is the time to review year to date profit, set aside tax money, consider incorporation, and plan purchases and payroll before year end, rather than discovering the tax result in April. For Calgary businesses with a December year end, autumn planning is especially important.