What to send your CPA for a T2 review
If you plan to have a CPA review your corporation's T2 before it is submitted, the handoff is where time is won or lost. A clear package lets the reviewer focus on judgment instead of chasing missing files.
This is a preparation checklist, not tax advice. What a particular CPA needs can vary, so confirm their requirements before you send anything.
1. Corporate basics
- legal name, business number, and tax year end;
- prior-year T2 and notice of assessment, when available;
- articles of incorporation or a summary of ownership;
- any correspondence from the CRA about the year under review.
2. Financial records
- bookkeeping export or trial balance for the year;
- bank and credit card statements that reconcile to the books;
- financial statements, if already prepared;
- a draft GIFI mapping or the categories you used.
The aim is a set of figures a reviewer can trace, not a box of loose receipts.
3. Evidence for the harder items
Some lines invite questions. Send the support up front:
- invoices for large or unusual expenses;
- asset purchase records that may need capital cost allowance review;
- shareholder loan details and any repayment history;
- mileage logs or home-office allocations;
- notes explaining business-use assumptions.
4. Your open questions
A reviewer works faster when they know where you are unsure. List the items you could not settle yourself:
- classifications you were not confident about;
- transactions that did not fit a clear category;
- anything personal-vs-business you flagged for judgment.
Stating these as questions is not a weakness in the package. It is what keeps uncertain items from being treated as settled.
5. How you want the handoff to work
Tell the CPA what you are asking for: a full preparation, a review of your draft, or a second look at specific items. Clarity here avoids rework on both sides.
How OPTAX fits
OPTAX is designed to keep records, evidence, and open questions together so a handoff package is easier to assemble. It organizes the materials; the CPA provides the professional review and judgment. OPTAX does not replace that review, and it does not submit the return to the CRA for you.
Useful CRA references
Boundary
This checklist is general information, not tax or legal advice. A CPA's specific requirements may differ, and complex matters should be reviewed by a qualified tax professional before the return is submitted through CRA channels.