Payroll account reviews and trust exams
Payroll reviews focus on source deductions, remittance timing, and whether workers were correctly treated as employees. Preparation is mostly about organized records.
What a payroll review looks for
Officers often compare T4 slips, remittance forms, bank withdrawals, and payroll journals. Common topics include late remittances, missing filings, shareholder draws treated as wages, and whether contractors should have been employees. Trust examinations look closely at whether withholdings stayed available to remit.
How contact usually starts
You may get a letter booking a visit or a desk review, a list of records to have ready, or a request to upload documents. The scope may cover the last few calendar years and, in some cases, earlier periods if problems appear.
Deadlines to watch
Document production dates on the letter are the ones that matter first. If a proposal or assessment follows, separate objection timelines may apply. Late remittance penalties and interest can keep growing while the review runs, so note any payment arrangement options the letter mentions without treating them as advice.
What to gather
Payroll registers, remittance receipts, RP account statements, contracts with workers, invoices labeled as contractor payments, and board or owner notes about how people were paid. A month-by-month remittance calendar helps spot gaps.
Important limits
Informational only. Worker classification and remittance disputes are fact-heavy; have an advisor review it before you recharacterize past payments.