One of my favourite things to do as an accountant is clean up a messy set of books.

I admit that it is a bit nerdy, but I think it comes from a love of solving puzzles and finding patterns. There's something deeply satisfying about the transformation that happens in the process.

I love stories. A great story can communicate something that you might have felt, but have never been able to articulate. And that perspective can change how you see the world.

Financial reports also provide clues that help you understand what's really happening in a business. And while that story is probably not going to be Shakespearean (unless the compiler is exceptionally gifted), you do have a narrative.

A common question from incorporated business owners who have money in their corporation is "Should I contribute to my RRSP, or should I leave the money inside my corporation and invest it there?"

The challenge is that there are several different "buckets" available, each with its own pros and cons. As with most of these questions, the answer depends on your situation.

But, understanding the options can help you make a better decision.

This is the most common scenario that I see once someone has decided to incorporate.

They go ahead with the incorporation (either online, themselves or through a lawyer) and set up a corporate bank account.

But then, they're not really sure what to do next. They know that they have tax obligations and should probably get an accountant. But everything else is a bit fuzzy.

Incorporating a business is a bit like buying a complicated piece of equipment without receiving the instruction manual.

When I was putting together last week's webinar, there was one stat that I came across that I found particularly interesting: the average retirement age for self-employed Canadians is 68 compared to 64 for the average Canadian worker.

Think back to the last time you meant to move some money into your RRSP or TFSA. Maybe it was earlier this year, maybe it was last year. You were going to do it once things slowed down a bit, once you had a clearer picture of how the year was shaping up, once you knew what you could actually afford to set aside.

Because here’s the thing: the goal isn’t only to file your taxes. It’s to get to the point where not only do you stop feeling anxious about taxes but you actually feel confident that you’re doing everything right.

One of the biggest areas of anxiety, especially if you are self-employed or a small business owner, is that you will be audited by CRA and/or Revenue Quebec, even if you have done everything right.

Recently, I had a consultation with a client who had been working with a bookkeeper. Despite paying a monthly fee for help, it quickly became clear that her books weren't giving her an accurate picture of her business. Transactions were oddly categorized, and balances she knew to be true e.g. her credit card balance were significantly different. She posed these questions to the bookkeeper but was told that everything was correct.

The taxes you pay when you are self employed can be daunting. In this post, I share the reasons why the bill is so high and what you can do about it. I also share a video which shows you how much tax you pay at 3 different levels of self employment income.

Tax season is officially underway. In this post I discuss what both individuals and small business/self employed owners need to do to be prepared.

A post about common mistakes made by accountants and small business owners when doing their T4s and T5s.

For Canadian self employed/business owners, “tax season” isn’t just one date in April. It’s a series of deadlines that, for many of you, starts earlier. If you're incorporated, these deadlines are not limited to "tax season" but can occur throughout the year.

In this post I highlight important tax changes for 2026 for both individuals and self employed/small business owners and their impact on your bottom line.

In my conversations with many of you, I often encounter some of these themes:

• An ongoing worry about “doing something wrong” e.g. missing a deadline, filing incorrectly, or audits by CRA or Revenue Québec.

• A feeling of being left to figure things out alone, especially after past experiences with unresponsive or ineffective professional help.

• Frustration with tools like QuickBooks, where instead of feeling supported, you feel like you’re missing something obvious and second-guessing yourself.

• Uncertainty about whether you are claiming everything you can and paying too much tax.

• And, underlying this, there's a desire to feel like a business owner who understands their numbers, feels in control, and can make decisions confidently.

From irregular income to shiny object syndrome, these five year-end reflections highlight common money challenges facing solopreneurs and how to approach them with clarity.

Whether you’re self-employed or not, these three simple numbers can bring clarity, reduce financial stress, and help you make smarter money decisions.

It is hard to believe that we're so close to the end of 2025 (and coming up to tax season!). While the natural topic of interest at this time of year would be year end finance/tax tips, I have a video about that and I'm also doing a free workshop at YES Montreal in mid December (stay tuned for more details).

A young colleague of mine recently purchased a house. His mortgage payments are going to be less than the rent he is currently paying and he will now own an asset that will likely increase in value over time. However, despite these clear positives, he is feeling a psychological burden that is impacting his financial decisions.

As I’ve been building my own membership, I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes a membership valuable.

As I wrote in my blog post this week, we have seen a significant shift from paying for a service in one lump sum to a monthly (or annual) fee. This might simply seem like a revenue grab, but customers have also become much more savvy and selective. And there is a lot more competition.