FAQ - Barricad Fiscalistes
Taxation questions
Here is a list of questions related to taxation that many people ask us regularly.
What is a tax specialist?
The standard definition: A tax specialist. A person who plans and administers the accounting of individuals or businesses in order to reduce their tax burden. Depending on their mandate, they may manage their clients' accounting, prepare their tax returns or provide long-term financial planning services.
Our vision of a tax specialist: A tax specialist is not an accountant (see next section). A tax professional organizes the corporate structure and plans the flow of cash to achieve his or her main objective: that the client pays the least amount of taxes possible, quite simply.
They assist accountants in correctly applying the provisions of the Income Tax Act to ensure that clients are compliant and receive the benefits of tax relief.
He speaks on behalf of the taxpayer in correspondence with the tax authorities. He is involved in requests for information, tax audits and objections.
He is the privileged advisor of the business owner; he accompanies him in his business decisions that will have an impact on him, his family, his partners, his employees, etc.
What is the difference between a tax specialist and an accountant?
The accountant has more of a compliance role: he or she ensures that the financial information is properly reconciled in order to inform and guide the business owner in his or her decisions. They prepare the company's financial statements and tax returns.
The tax specialist uses this information to identify possible tax savings. They implement transactions to satisfy the personal objectives of the shareholders while ensuring the company's compliance and tax optimization.
They each have their own important role; it's no wonder they are often found in the same place. At no time should an accountant become a tax specialist or a tax specialist become an accountant.
What is the difference between a tax specialist, a tax lawyer or a tax accountant?
There's no significant difference. Whether the tax specialist has a bachelor's degree in law, accounting or finance, this has only a reduced impact on his skills as a tax specialist.
What is important, in our opinion, is the master's degree in taxation and the experience acquired in the field. The title of tax specialist is not a title protected by an order; It is therefore all the more important to make sure that your tax specialist has the necessary knowledge to practice his profession.
Barricad Fiscalistes is fortunate to have tax specialists with different backgrounds and each of them have a master's degree in the field of taxation ... or 40 years of experience!
Why don't Barricad Fiscalistes offer accounting services?
We prefer to focus on our core strength: taxation. This allows us to focus on our clients' specific mandates without being impacted by the continuous flow of accounting mandates.
This allows us to work in collaboration with the client's accountant, whoever that may be. There is never any competition between us and the accounting firms.
The client wins because he is dealing with two professionals who have the success of the company at heart.
Do I need a tax specialist?
In a perfect world, everyone would need a tax professional, even if it was just for personal tax preparation.
If you have even the slightest doubt about your tax situation, contact us right away and we can see how and at what cost we can help you.
What are the fees of a tax specialist?
First of all, we always aim to keep our fees lower than the tax savings. This means that in many cases, the "bottom line" is positive and everyone is happy.
More often than not, a tax specialist sells his time. This is called an hourly rate. Our rates are in line with other tax specialists in Quebec.
Our clients save a lot of money on administrative fees: we do not charge any. Thus, clients pay only for the time actually spent on their file.
It is also possible to offer packages with a fixed price.
Contact us for more details on pricing.
What is the expertise of Barricad Fiscalistes?
We are not ashamed to say that we are generalists. We see dozens of different cases on a daily basis, so we have built up significant experience in various fields of expertise. Whether it's a family transfer, sale of a business, real estate, agricultural sector, consumption taxes, we have a tax specialist to help you.
Some of us have worked for the Canada Revenue Agency, large accounting firms, universities and even banks. Some are business owners or real estate owners.
I live outside of Quebec City. Can I use your services?
Barricad offers its services throughout the province, no matter where you live. We have four fixed locations to meet with you: our offices in Sainte-Foy, Limoilou, Montreal and Sherbrooke. If you can't make it to the office, we offer our advice via Skype or simply by phone.
Still have questions?
The best way to answer all your questions is to set up a meeting with us in order to clarify the different questions you have.
