Every company is its own taxpayer.
Each property company files its own T2 and keeps its own UCC pools by class. Those balances don’t roll up, and they don’t move with a property unless someone records the transfer.
Corporate tax obligationsReal estate groups
Every property company. One tax record.
Every building has its own company, and every company has its own tax work. TaxDesk keeps each one’s returns, CCA, losses, CRA notices, and ownership in one place, and shows your team the whole portfolio at once.
Built for Canadian corporations Works with your external accountant
A typical property group
Illustrative structure
- Ownership
- Intercompany activity
Holding companyFamily HoldcoOwns the portfolioOwnershipDividends
Property corporation100 King Inc.Office buildingSch. 8 · UCCT2Owned by Family Holdco · 100%
Property corporation42 Front Inc.Mixed-useSch. 8 · UCCGST/HSTOwned by Family Holdco · 100%
PartnershipIndustrial LPWarehouse, two unitsT5013PartnersOwned by Family Holdco · 60%
Management companyManagement Co.Payroll and servicesPayrollGST/HSTOwned by Family Holdco · 100%
- Management Co. → 100 King Inc.management fee
- Management Co. → 42 Front Inc.management fee
Sound familiar?
Where it gets hard.
- 01
A lender asks for the borrower’s tax file.
Without a shared recordThree years of returns, CRA notices, and CCA workings are spread across inboxes and your accountant’s portal.
In TaxDeskOpen the company. Its returns, notices, and CCA history are there, each tied to the year it belongs to.
- 02
You buy the company that owns the building.
Without a shared recordThe seller’s returns and UCC balances arrive as a folder of PDFs. Someone retypes the numbers, or nobody does.
In TaxDeskUpload the folder. TaxDesk reads it and brings in the balances, dates, and owners it finds, each next to the page it came from. You review the suggestions, and anything that conflicts with your records waits for approval.
- 03
A property sells, or the group reorganizes.
Without a shared recordRecapture, terminal loss, and rollovers all depend on UCC by class and cost history that predates your current team.
In TaxDeskUCC by class, loss pools, and ownership history are already on the company, with the documents behind them. Your accountant can start right away.
Why it gets complicated
One building. One company. One more set of tax work.
Holding each property in its own corporation is a sound way to contain risk and financing. It also multiplies the tax work by every company you add.
A partnership reports on its own.
An LP can file its own T5013 information return, and the companies that hold its units report their share. Both sides need to be on record, along with who the partners were.
Entity types and their obligationsEvery company has its own tax accounts.
Some property companies hold GST/HST and payroll accounts and some don’t. Registrations and filing frequencies can differ across the group, so each belongs on its own record.
GST/HST operating guideInterest is a question of its own.
Interest is often the biggest expense in a leveraged portfolio, and the EIFEL rules can limit interest deductions for some groups. Whether they apply to you is a question for your accountant.
EIFEL calculatorThis is general information, not tax or legal advice. Ask your accountant how these rules apply to your group.
Inside TaxDesk · Ownership
Start with the portfolio. End at the exact company.
The ownership chart shows people, trusts, corporations, and partnerships with their percentages. See it as of any date, and export it as a PDF for a lender or a buyer.
- Corporations, LPs, and Holdcos on one chart
- See it as of any date
- Export a PDF for lenders and counsel
- 1View the structure as of a date
- 2Export the chart
- 3Individuals, trusts, and corporations on one chart
- 4Ownership percentage on every link
A property’s life
What each stage asks for.
A property company gets different questions when it buys, holds, refinances, and sells. The record should already have the answers.
- 01
Acquire
A company is formed or bought.
- Ownership and effective date
- Opening UCC by class
- Purchase agreement and prior returns
- 02
Hold
The company files and pays each year.
- T2 with Schedule 8 CCA
- GST/HST and instalments
- CRA notices tied to the return
- 03
Refinance
A lender asks for the file.
- Returns and notices by year
- Balances with as-of dates
- Ownership chart as of today
- 04
Sell or reorganize
The property or company changes hands.
- UCC and CCA history by class
- Loss pools and their sources
- Ownership timeline and share records
Inside TaxDesk · Companies
Every property company. Its work and documents, together.
Each company shows its business number, CRA accounts, year-end, open work, and linked documents, so gaps show up before a lender or buyer finds them.
- Business number and CRA accounts on the company
- Open work and documents counted per company
- A status that flags what’s incomplete
- 1Every entity in one list, with a count
- 2Find an entity by name
- 3Filter to entities with missing documents or items to confirm
- 4Each entity with its CRA program accounts and a status
What’s in the record
See the whole portfolio. Keep every company separate.
TaxDesk connects your companies through ownership, but each corporation and partnership keeps its own returns, balances, and documents. Start with the portfolio, then open the exact notice, filing, or document behind any item.
- Property and company details
- Ownership and effective dates
- Schedule 8 UCC and CCA
- Schedule 4 losses
- CRA notices and balances
- Returns and source documents
Who does what
Returns and filing
YouYou or your accountant prepare and file the way you do today.
TaxDeskTaxDesk records the status, dates, and documents behind each filing.
CRA accounts
YouYou enter each company’s CRA accounts and filing settings.
TaxDeskTaxDesk turns them into due dates. It doesn’t connect to CRA.
Changes
YouYou decide when a document disagrees with the record.
TaxDeskTaxDesk links each fact to its source. A fact that conflicts with your records waits for your approval.
Who it is for
Especially useful when one person can no longer track the whole group.
- Privately owned real estate groups
- Portfolios that hold each property in its own corporation
- Groups with Holdcos, LPs, or management companies
- Finance teams working with outside tax advisors
What it doesn’t do
TaxDesk works best when a group has several related companies and wants to own its tax record. It doesn’t replace property management, bookkeeping, or tax-preparation software.
Free tools and guides
Run the numbers first.
Calculators and guides for groups like yours. They’re planning aids, not tax advice.
Common questions
Know where TaxDesk fits.
How do we keep track of taxes across several property corporations?
Give each corporation, partnership, Holdco, and management company its own record, then connect them through ownership. Each record holds that company’s CRA accounts, filings, payments, notices, balances, and documents. One view shows the work across all of them.
Does TaxDesk track CCA and UCC for each property company?
Yes. Schedule 8 UCC and CCA details sit on the company that owns the property, next to the return and document they came from. Your accountant still calculates the numbers and files the return.
Can we bring in a company we just bought?
Yes. Upload its returns, CRA notices, and agreements. TaxDesk brings in the balances, dates, and owners it finds, each next to its source. Anything that conflicts with your records waits for someone on your team to approve it.
Does TaxDesk manage properties or tenants?
No. TaxDesk keeps the tax record for the companies that own and run the properties. It doesn’t manage leases, tenants, maintenance, or property accounting.
Can our outside accountant work in the same record?
Yes. Approved advisors work from the same companies, filings, documents, and history as your team. If your advisor changes, the record stays with your company.
Does TaxDesk prepare or file our returns?
No. Your accountant prepares and files returns the way they do today. TaxDesk doesn’t connect to CRA. It records what’s due, what was filed, and the documents behind each filing.
Request access
Give the whole group one tax record.
Tell us about your companies and the tax work you want in one place.