Compliance, cash flow, and the Canadian construction rules that most tools built in the US get wrong. Written for the electricians, plumbers, HVAC techs, and trades who actually run the jobs.
How to export a clean T5018 dataset (CSV and worksheet) for your bookkeeper, the two numbers contractors get wrong, and how the figures get filed with the CRA.
A working bookkeeper's guide to Canadian trades clients: GST/HST registration and filing frequency, ITC documentation, T5018, multi-province tax, and holdback.
Ontario Construction Act notice of non-payment: 14-day deadline, Form 1.0.1 requirements, what happens if the owner misses the window, and how contractors should respond. Verified against the statute.
Ontario contractor deposit guide: industry norms by job type (renovation, roofing, HVAC, custom millwork), the material-risk vs commitment-risk framework, and why you shouldn't over-rely on the deposit. Includes the Consumer Protection Act considerations.
Ontario Construction Act proper invoice mistakes: the 7 ways trades contractors fail s.6.1, missing period of work, no contract reference, vague descriptions, missing payment recipient details, no HST number, premature invoicing, no proof of delivery.
Markup vs margin for Canadian trades contractors: the math, a conversion table, the formula to set prices from your target margin, what 'cost' should actually include, and typical margin ranges by trade.
Canadian construction lien preservation deadlines by province for 2026. Every statute, section reference, and follow-up perfection step in one place. Verified against primary sources.
Step-by-step guide to filing a construction lien in Ontario. 60-day preservation, 90-day perfection, Form 12, Teraview registration, and the five common mistakes that kill liens.
Canadian sales tax cheat sheet for contractors: every province's GST/HST/PST/QST rate, the $30,000 GST/HST registration threshold, the PST quirks in BC and Saskatchewan, and the Quick Method for service providers.
Ontario's Construction Act got real changes on January 1, 2026: 7-day deficiency notice, mandatory annual holdback release, more. Here's what every contractor needs to know.
Ontario’s Construction Act requires 6 fields on a proper invoice. Miss one and the 28-day clock won’t start. Sample, template, and field-by-field checklist.
Ontario’s Construction Act starts a 28-day payment clock the day a proper invoice is delivered. How the prompt-payment rules work and how to enforce them.
Step-by-step ODACC adjudication guide for Ontario contractors. $0 fee under $50K, 35-day decision. The fastest way to enforce a Construction Act payment dispute.
Canadian contractor guide to late payment fees: what you can charge customers, the 35% Criminal Code cap, and when the CRA charges you for late filings.
T5018 filing rules for Canadian construction contractors. Who must file, the $500 threshold, the 6-month deadline, and the penalties for missing it.
Construction contractors: should you file a T5018 or T4A for your subcontractor? Decision tree, edge cases, and the penalty for getting it wrong.
The Canadian-trades compliance bundle: Construction Act-compliant invoices, T5018 filing, lien deadlines, holdback, and province-aware tax.
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