5 Costly Payroll Mistakes Ontario Small Businesses Make in 2025

Running payroll seems simple — until the CRA sends you a penalty notice or an employee complains.

Here are the 5 most common (and expensive) payroll mistakes we see every month with Toronto and GTA small businesses in 2025… and exactly how to fix them before they cost you thousands.

  1. Misclassifying Employees vs Independent Contractors
    → Mistake: Paying someone as a contractor when CRA considers them an employee.
    → Fix: Use the CRA’s free “Request a CPP/EI Ruling” tool or let us review it for you in under 24 hours.
  2. Forgetting to Remit Source Deductions on Time
    → Mistake: Missing the 15th-of-the-month deadline for CPP, EI, and tax remittances.
    → Fix: Set up automatic withdrawals or let us handle every remittance — 100% on time, guaranteed.
  3. Incorrect Vacation Pay Calculation
    → Mistake: Still paying 4% when the employee is now entitled to 6% after 5 years.
    → Fix: Run a quick vacation liability report in QuickBooks — we’ll do it for you in minutes.
  4. Missing or Late T4/T4A Slips (February 28 deadline)
    → Mistake: Last-minute rush leads to errors and $1,000+ penalties.
    → Fix: We prepare and e-file all T4/T4A slips for our clients by mid-February every year — zero stress.
  5. Ignoring 2025/2026 Rate Changes
    → Mistake: Still using 2024 CPP/EI rates in January → automatic under-remittance penalties.
    → Fix: One click updates everything. We do it for all clients before December 31.

Stop guessing and start sleeping at night.
Info Bookkeeping fixes payroll mistakes for Toronto-area businesses every single week — usually for less than the cost of one CRA penalty.

Ready to get your payroll 100% compliant?
Call or text us at 647-247-9817 or email biljana@infobookkeeping.ca for a free 15-minute payroll health check.
We’ll find any hidden mistakes and give you a fixed-price quote to take it all off your plate.

Don’t wait for the brown envelope from CRA — contact us today.

2025/2026 HST Rates & Deadlines for Ontario Small Businesses

If you own a small business in Toronto or the GTA, staying on top of HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) is critical to avoid CRA penalties.

Current HST Rate in Ontario (as of 2025–2026)
→ 13% (5% federal GST + 8% provincial portion)

Key Filing Deadlines for 2025–2026

  • Annual filers: March 31, 2026
  • Quarterly filers: April 30, July 31, October 31, 2026, and January 31, 2027
  • Monthly filers: Due the last day of each month

Need help filing on time? InfoBookkeeping offers fast, accurate HST return preparation and filing for Toronto-area businesses.

Contact Biljana today at 647-247-9817 or biljana@infobookkeeping.ca for a free consultation.

Quick Tip: If your revenue is under $30,000 you may qualify for the “small supplier” exemption — we can check for you for free.