Multi-property accounting, rental income tracking, CCA schedules, mortgage interest allocation, and property-level profitability. We help Canadian real estate investors and property managers see the true picture.
Real estate investing looks simple on the surface — collect rent, pay expenses, track the difference. But the reality is far more nuanced. With multiple properties, you need to track income and expenses separately for each one. Mortgage payments need to be split between principal and interest. Capital improvements need to be distinguished from repairs and maintenance for CCA purposes. Security deposits need to be held separately from rental income.
The tax implications in real estate are significant. Capital cost allowance (CCA) on your buildings represents a major deduction, but claiming it involves strategic decisions about timing and class allocation that require accurate records. Selling a property triggers capital gains calculations that depend on your adjusted cost base — which depends on every improvement, legal fee, and land transfer tax you paid over the years being properly recorded.
For property managers handling multiple owners, the complexity multiplies. Each owner needs their own financial statements. Trust accounting rules require that tenant deposits and rent collections be handled in compliance with BC's Residential Tenancy Act. Commingling funds between owner accounts is not just bad practice — it can create legal liability.
And then there are the BC-specific considerations. The Speculation and Vacancy Tax, the Empty Homes Tax in Vancouver, property transfer tax calculations, and the GST implications of new construction versus resale all need to be tracked accurately. A general bookkeeper who has never handled real estate will miss these nuances.
We configure your accounting software to give you a clear financial picture for each property in your portfolio. Every dollar of income and expense is tracked to the right property so you can make informed decisions about which investments to hold, improve, or sell.
We set up your chart of accounts with classes or sub-accounts for each property. Every rental payment, mortgage interest charge, property tax payment, insurance premium, and repair bill gets coded to the correct property. Your monthly reports show you net operating income per property, so you can see exactly which investments are performing. If you own five properties, you get five mini-P&Ls plus a consolidated view of your portfolio.
CCA is one of the most significant tax benefits available to real estate investors, but it requires meticulous record-keeping. We track each property's capital cost, additions, and the applicable CCA class. We maintain detailed schedules that your tax preparer needs to calculate available deductions. We also track capital improvements separately from repairs — a new roof versus a patched roof have very different tax treatments.
When you eventually sell a property, your capital gain is calculated from your adjusted cost base (ACB) — the original purchase price plus all eligible improvements, legal fees, and other capitalizable costs. We track every capital addition to each property over time so your ACB is always current. This can save you significant money when it comes time to calculate capital gains.
If you manage properties for other investors, you need clean separation between owner accounts. We set up proper tracking so each owner gets accurate statements showing their rental income, expenses, and net distributions. Security deposits are tracked in a trust ledger, not commingled with operating funds. Your books comply with the Residential Tenancy Act requirements for financial record-keeping.
Who we work with: Residential landlords, multi-family property investors, property management companies, commercial real estate investors, real estate development companies, and realtors tracking commission income and business expenses. Whether you own one duplex or a portfolio of 50 units, we scale with you.
Book a free 30-minute call. We will review your portfolio and recommend the right plan for your real estate business.