For many accounting firms, T4A season feels like pure overhead: last‑minute client requests, incomplete data, and staff working late just to help clients avoid penalties.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. With the right structure, T4A work can shift from a frustrating cost centre into a defined, profitable service line that strengthens client relationships.
Here’s how to reframe and redesign T4A season inside your firm.
Step 1: recognize the value you already provide
Even if you’re not charging for it today, your firm is probably already providing value in several areas:
• Clarifying who needs T4As and who doesn’t
• Cleaning up messy client spreadsheets and records
• Preventing penalties and CRA issues through timely filing
• Educating clients on better processes for future years
That’s real, measurable value. The first mindset shift is seeing T4A support not as “free help,” but as a specialized compliance service.
Step 2: define T4A services clearly
To turn T4As into a service line, you need clear offerings. For example:
• Basic T4A Compliance Package
– Annual review of contractors and payments
– Preparation and filing of T4A slips and summaries
– Email delivery of slips to recipients
• Enhanced T4A Process Package
– Everything in Basic
– Review of contractor classification risk
– Recommendations for improving data capture and workflows
– Mid‑year check‑in
• Implementation Package (one‑time)
– Set‑up of tools like T4ASlip
– Template creation (onboarding forms, internal checklists)
– Staff training for the client’s internal team
You don’t need dozens of options—two or three well‑defined packages is a strong start.
Step 3: price the work intentionally
Underpricing is one of the biggest reasons T4A work feels painful. Consider:
• The staff time involved in cleaning data and chasing clients
• The risk you shoulder if slips are filed incorrectly or late
• The downstream savings for clients (avoided penalties, fewer CRA issues)
You might choose:
• Fixed‑fee pricing by volume (for example, tiers based on number of slips)
• Bundling T4A work into year‑end or bookkeeping packages
• Premium pricing for late or “rush” work requested close to deadlines
Whatever you choose, communicate pricing well before the season so there are no surprises.
Step 4: standardize your internal workflow
A profitable service line runs on process, not heroics. Map out:
• Intake
– How clients submit their contractor and payment data
– Which formats you accept (and don’t accept)
– Who owns client communication
• Preparation
– How data is imported into your systems or tools like T4ASlip
– Who reviews and cleans the data
– How you handle missing or inconsistent information
• Review and filing
– Senior review checkpoints
– Sign‑off procedures
– Filing and confirmation steps
Document this as your internal “T4A Playbook” so new staff can get up to speed quickly.
Step 5: use the right technology
Manual T4A work is error‑prone and unscalable. The right tech stack can change the economics completely. For example, T4ASlip can help your firm:
• Centralize contractor information across clients
• Import payment data instead of re‑typing it
• Flag missing SINs, addresses, or unusual amounts
• Generate slips and summaries in standardized formats
By reducing the administrative load, your staff can focus on higher‑value review and advisory work.
Step 6: educate clients proactively
T4A season is smoother—and more profitable—when clients understand their role. Consider:
• Sending pre‑season emails or webinars explaining what you need and when
• Providing simple contractor onboarding templates they can use internally
• Sharing checklists that outline their responsibilities vs yours
When clients arrive with cleaner data and realistic expectations, your margins improve and your team experiences less burnout.
Step 7: position T4A services as risk management
Many clients don’t see T4As as urgent until CRA penalties land. Reframe your T4A service as:
• A way to reduce audit risk
• Protection against penalties and interest
• Evidence of strong governance for boards or investors
This makes your offering easier to sell and easier to price appropriately.
Step 8: measure and refine
Once T4As are a defined service line, track:
• Revenue and margins by T4A engagement
• Staff hours spent vs number of slips processed
• Number of late or rush jobs and their pricing
• Client satisfaction and retention
Use that data to refine your pricing, processes, and technology choices for future seasons.
How T4ASlip supports firms specifically
For accounting firms, T4ASlip can be a backbone for your T4A service line by:
• Providing a consistent interface across many clients
• Reducing manual data wrangling with imports and validations
• Making it easy to scale from a handful of slips to hundreds or thousands
• Creating a clear audit trail of how numbers were derived
Instead of dreading T4A season, your team can approach it as a well‑structured, profitable line of work that deepens client trust.
The big shift
Turning T4A season into a profitable service line isn’t about doing more work—it’s about:
• Naming the value you already provide
• Structuring it into clear services and prices
• Standardizing your processes
• Leaning on purpose‑built tools
Do that, and T4As become less of a headache and more of a strategic advantage for your firm.