Corporate Tax Accountant in Saskatoon

Saskatoon seasons, and how they change the accounting work

Saskatoon has a warm summer humid continental climate. Average temperatures are about 18.8 degrees Celsius in July and minus 14.7 degrees in January, with about 14 inches of precipitation a year, strongly seasonal, and about 36 inches of snow a year. June is the wettest month at about 2.8 inches, and February the driest at about 0.39 inches. Winters are very cold, summers warm, and the swing between them is large. That pattern shows up directly in the accounting calendar for Saskatoon businesses.

Winter, November to March. This is year end and payroll season, in the coldest months of the year. 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. Cold does not change filing dates, so winter bookkeeping discipline matters for Saskatoon agriculture, mining services, and construction firms.

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 PST quarters need to be closed cleanly, before summer project work peaks.

Summer, June to August. Summer is peak season for Saskatoon agriculture, construction, and tourism, 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 PST 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 Saskatoon businesses with a December year end, autumn planning is especially important.