Nova Scotia small business accounting services

Our Services

Three Services, One
Consistent Standard
of Care

Each Rideau Sums service is scoped carefully around what Nova Scotia small businesses actually need — no padding, no vague deliverables, no ambiguity about what you are paying for.

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How We Work

Our Approach to Every Engagement

The mechanics behind a Rideau Sums engagement are consistent across all three services — because process quality matters as much as technical knowledge.

Intake & Scoping

A brief introductory call to understand your business and confirm the right service. We then send a document checklist specific to your situation.

Preparation & Review

We prepare the return or analysis, then conduct an internal review before any client presentation. Errors are caught before they reach you.

Client Meeting

A structured walkthrough of the completed work. You see the figures, ask questions, and confirm you are satisfied before anything is filed or finalised.

Filing & Follow-Up

We file electronically with the CRA and send you a written summary of your position, carry-forward amounts, and anything worth noting for the period ahead.

HST filing for Atlantic businesses

Service 01

HST Compliance & Filing

CAD 210 per filing period

A focused service for small businesses in the Atlantic provinces that need their Harmonized Sales Tax obligations handled accurately and on time. The Atlantic HST rate of 15% applies to most of what you sell, and filing requirements depend on your revenue — quarterly for most small businesses, annually for others.

We cover registration for businesses that have recently crossed the CRA threshold, prepare and file your returns electronically, optimize the input tax credits you are entitled to claim, and ensure your reconciliation of HST collected versus HST paid is accurate before submission.

What the service includes:

  • HST registration guidance for new registrants
  • Quarterly or annual return preparation and CRA e-filing
  • Input tax credit review and optimization
  • HST collected vs. HST paid reconciliation
  • Guidance on place-of-supply and point-of-sale rebate rules
  • Filing frequency selection advice
  • Accuracy review before every submission

Best suited for:

Nova Scotia businesses that are HST-registered and want their indirect tax obligations managed carefully — particularly those navigating the Atlantic provinces' 15% rate for the first time, or those who have had inconsistent filing in prior years.

Enquire About HST Filing

Service 02

Small Business Tax Preparation & Filing

CAD 505 per tax year

A comprehensive annual tax service covering the full scope of filing requirements for Nova Scotia incorporated businesses and self-employed individuals. The engagement encompasses both the corporate T2 and personal T1 where applicable, with all supporting schedules, GIFI entries, and information slips prepared as part of the service.

Provincial considerations specific to Nova Scotia — including the provincial small business deduction rate and the Nova Scotia basic personal tax credit — are carefully applied alongside the standard federal calculations.

What the service includes:

  • T2 corporate return with all supporting schedules and GIFI entries
  • T1 personal return for self-employment income
  • HST annual reconciliation
  • Preparation of required information slips
  • Nova Scotia provincial credits and deductions applied
  • Structured pre-filing review meeting
  • Post-filing summary with effective rates and carry-forward balances

Best suited for:

Incorporated Nova Scotia small businesses and self-employed individuals who want a careful, communicative annual tax preparation experience — with a pre-filing meeting included as standard and a written summary delivered after filing.

Discuss Your Tax Return
Annual tax preparation for Nova Scotia businesses
Business growth advisory Atlantic Canada

Service 03

Tax-Aware Business Growth Advisory

CAD 895 per year

A thoughtful advisory engagement for small business owners in Atlantic Canada who are actively growing and want their financial structure to keep pace with their ambitions. The engagement begins with a thorough review of your current corporate arrangement, compensation methods, debt structure, and growth trajectory.

A strategic roadmap is then developed addressing reinvestment versus distribution decisions, asset acquisition timing relative to capital cost allowance schedules, provincial incentive programs available in Nova Scotia, corporate surplus management, and early-stage transition or succession considerations.

What the service includes:

  • Two structured advisory sessions per year
  • Written tax-aware strategy document, updated annually
  • Reinvestment vs. distribution analysis
  • CCA scheduling and asset acquisition timing
  • Nova Scotia provincial incentive program review
  • Corporate surplus management guidance
  • Responsive email access for questions throughout the year

Best suited for:

Atlantic Canadian businesses with revenues above CAD 200,000 that are actively reinvesting in growth, making capital acquisitions, or approaching ownership transition — and who want financial guidance that matches their pace.

Explore Advisory

Which Service Fits?

Choosing the Right Solution

Use this comparison to see which service covers your situation — or contact us and we will advise.

What you need HST Filing
CAD 210
Tax Prep
CAD 505
Advisory
CAD 895
HST return preparation and CRA filing
Input tax credit review
T2 corporate return with all schedules
T1 personal return (self-employment)
Pre-filing review meeting
Post-filing written summary
Two advisory sessions per year
Written strategic roadmap document
Year-round email access for questions
CCA and asset acquisition timing
Best for HST-registered businesses needing clean, on-time filings Incorporated businesses wanting a careful annual return Growing businesses (200k+ revenue) seeking strategic guidance

Across All Services

Shared Professional Standards

CRA Compliance

Every return is prepared in accordance with the Income Tax Act, the Excise Tax Act, and the most current CRA administrative guidance.

Secure Document Handling

Client documents are received, stored, and transmitted via encrypted channels only. Clear retention and disposal policies govern all client data.

Deadline Management

We track all filing and payment deadlines for every client and reach out proactively — well before the due date — to ensure there is no scramble at the last minute.

Engagement Letters

Each engagement begins with a written letter describing scope, fees, timelines, and documentation requirements. No ambiguity about what is covered.

Continuous Professional Development

We monitor CRA technical interpretations, budget announcements, and NS provincial changes as they are released — so our advice reflects current rules, not last year's.

Accessible Communication

We explain tax concepts in plain language. You should understand the return that was filed in your name — that is a standard we hold ourselves to in every client relationship.

Not sure which service fits your situation?

Send us a message or give us a call. We will ask a few questions about your business and point you toward the service that genuinely fits — without overselling scope you do not need.

Contact Rideau Sums