Payroll Services for Calgary Businesses
Whether you have one employee or fifty, payroll has to be right every single pay run. Summit Tax & Accounting runs payroll for Calgary businesses — calculating pay and deductions, remitting to the CRA on time, and handling T4s, ROEs and WCB returns, so a compliance letter never lands on your desk.
What's Included
Payroll Processing
Weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly or monthly pay runs, with direct deposit files and a pay statement for every employee.
CRA Source Deductions and Remittances
CPP, EI and income tax calculated and remitted on the schedule the CRA assigned you, so you never trigger a late-remittance penalty.
T4 and T4A Preparation
Slips and summaries prepared, filed with the CRA by the last day of February, and distributed to your staff.
Records of Employment
ROEs filed through ROE Web within five calendar days of the end of the pay period in which the interruption of earnings occurred.
T5018 for Construction Subcontractors
If construction is your main source of business income, subcontractor payments are reported on a T5018 return within six months of your period end.
WCB Annual Returns
Your Alberta WCB annual return — assessable earnings for last year plus the estimate for this one — filed before February 28.
Payroll Deadlines Alberta Employers Have to Meet
Payroll has more deadlines than any other part of running a business, and most of them are penalized automatically rather than after a warning.
| Obligation | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Source deduction remittance — regular remitter | 15th of the month after the month you paid your employees |
| T4 and T4A slips to employees and return to the CRA | Last day of February |
| Record of Employment — filed electronically | 5 calendar days after the end of the pay period in which earnings were interrupted |
| T5018 — construction subcontractor payments | 6 months after the end of your reporting period |
| WCB Alberta annual return | February 28 |
The CRA charges 3% of the amount if a remittance is one to three days late, 5% at four to five days, 7% at six to seven days, and 10% if it is more than seven days late or never sent at all. A repeat failure in the same year, where it was made knowingly or through gross negligence, is penalized at 20%.
Why Payroll Compliance Matters
Payroll is the CRA account most likely to attract attention, because the money withheld from an employee's cheque is held in trust for the government — it was never your company's money. Late remittances are penalized automatically, with no warning letter first, and directors can be held personally liable for unremitted source deductions.
Worker classification is the other common trap. If you treat someone as a contractor and the CRA decides they were an employee, your business becomes responsible for the CPP and EI that should have been withheld — both the employee's share and the employer's — plus penalties and interest going back over the period. We assess the relationship before the first payment goes out, not after a ruling request lands.
Why Choose Us
We Fit Your Setup
Already on QuickBooks, Xero or Wagepoint? We work in your system rather than forcing a migration you did not ask for.
Scales From One Employee to Fifty
The same process works for a first hire and for a growing crew, so you are not switching providers in eighteen months.
We Answer the CRA
If a payroll notice arrives, we deal with it directly instead of handing you a phone number and a case reference.
Payroll, Books and Year-End Together
Your payroll feeds your bookkeeping and your corporate return without anyone re-entering the same numbers.
How It Works
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Free quote
Tell us how many employees you have and how often you pay them. We quote a flat monthly fee.
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Onboarding
We collect employee details, TD1 forms and your CRA payroll account information, and confirm your remittance schedule.
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Setup
Pay rates, deductions, vacation accrual and direct deposit are configured and tested on a parallel run.
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Ongoing payroll
You approve hours, we run payroll, employees get paid, and remittances and filings happen on schedule.
Payroll FAQ
What do payroll services do?
A payroll service calculates gross pay, deducts CPP, EI and income tax, produces pay statements, moves the net pay to employees, and remits the deductions to the CRA on schedule. It also handles year-end filings such as T4 slips and Records of Employment when someone leaves.
What are the three types of payroll?
Businesses generally run payroll one of three ways: manually with CRA payroll tables and spreadsheets, with payroll software they operate themselves, or by outsourcing to an accountant or payroll provider. The right choice usually comes down to headcount and how much compliance risk the owner wants to carry.
How much do payroll services cost in Calgary?
Most providers charge a base monthly fee plus a per-employee amount, so the cost scales with headcount and pay frequency. Ask whether T4 preparation, ROEs and WCB returns are included in the monthly fee or billed separately — that is where quotes usually differ.
Is there a free payroll option for small business?
The CRA's Payroll Deductions Online Calculator is free and will calculate the right deductions for each employee, which is workable for one or two people. It does not remit, file, or produce T4s and ROEs, so the compliance obligations still sit with you.
When do I have to remit payroll deductions to the CRA?
Most new employers are regular remitters, meaning deductions are due by the 15th of the month after the month you paid your employees. The CRA can move you to a quarterly, accelerated or threshold schedule based on your average monthly withholding amount, and it notifies you when that changes.
Do I need a payroll account before I hire someone?
Yes. You need an RP payroll account under your business number before the first pay date, because deductions have to be remitted under that account. Registering takes minutes and can be done when you set up or add to your CRA business number.
Get a Payroll Quote
Call +1 (825) 734 7435 or request a free quote. Tell us your headcount and pay frequency and we will send back a flat monthly price.