Accountant: What is the cost of hiring?

What is a chartered accountant?

A chartered accountant (CA) manages financial records, ensures compliance with tax laws and regulations and provides strategic financial advice. They help businesses maintain accurate reporting, optimize finances and support long-term growth.

Why hire a chartered accountant?

Chartered accountants handle essential financial duties, including auditing, budgeting, tax planning and reporting. Hiring a CA is ideal if your company needs reliable financial oversight, guidance on regulatory compliance or expert insights for strategic decision making. Signs you may need a CA include inconsistent financial records, upcoming audits or complex tax requirements.

Contributions of a great chartered accountant:

• accurate financial reporting and auditing
• tax compliance and strategic planning
• risk management and business insights

Defining your hiring needs for a chartered accountant

Start by assessing the scope of your financial operations and determining whether you require a full-time, part-time or freelance CA. Decide on the right title (e.g. chartered accountant, CPA, senior accountant) and set a budget based on salary benchmarks. Compare similar roles, such as general accountant or bookkeeper, to ensure your description matches your needs.

What are the types of chartered accountants?

Chartered accountants may specialize in specific areas of finance or take on broader accounting responsibilities depending on company size and business needs.

Common types of chartered accountants include:

• auditor: examines financial statements and ensures compliance with accounting standards
• tax accountant: focuses on tax planning, preparation and compliance for businesses or individuals
• management accountant: provides budgeting, forecasting and strategic financial insights to support business decisions
• financial accountant: prepares financial reports, manages bookkeeping and ensures accurate record keeping
• forensic accountant: investigates financial discrepancies, fraud or legal disputes

When writing your chartered accountant job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on chartered accountant jobs, according to Indeed data:

• accounting
• accountant
• bookkeeper
• junior accountant
• accounts payable
• senior accountant
• payroll
• bookkeeping
• accounts receivable
• CPA

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Where to find chartered accountants?

You can find chartered accountants across Canada by targeting finance-focused communities, professional networking events and accounting education programs. Consider tapping into your internal finance team or exploring professionals from related roles in bookkeeping or auditing.

To find the right chartered accountant for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Professional finance events: Conferences like CPA Canada events or local accounting seminars draw experienced accountants open to new roles.
• Professional associations: Organizations like provincial CPA chapters offer member directories and niche job boards.
• University programs: Accounting and finance grads from universities such as the University of Toronto, UBC and McGill provide strong talent pipelines.
• Internal promotions: Promote high-performing bookkeepers, junior accountants or finance analysts ready for more responsibility.
• Adjacent industries: Candidates from auditing firms, tax consultancies or corporate finance may bring specialized expertise.
• Post your job online: Try posting your chartered accountant job on Indeed to find and attract quality chartered accountant candidates.

Skills to look for in a chartered accountant

A successful chartered accountant candidate will typically have the following skills and competencies, which may be gained through a variety of experiences, training or education:

• financial reporting and analysis with accuracy and compliance in mind
• tax planning, preparation and regulatory compliance
• auditing and risk management across business operations
• proficiency with accounting software, ERP systems and Excel
• strategic financial advice to support business growth and decision-making
• project management with the ability to prioritize multiple financial initiatives

Writing a chartered accountant job description

Now that you know the key skills, salary expectations, popular search terms and hiring insights for a chartered accountant, you’re ready to write a job description.

A chartered accountant job description typically includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities, and the required and preferred skills for the position. You may also want to highlight your company culture, benefits and perks to attract candidates to your open role.

Ready to get started? See our full guide for writing chartered accountant job descriptions.

Interviewing chartered accountant candidates

Strong candidates for chartered accountant positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• experience with audits and financial reporting
• handling tax compliance and planning
• financial forecasting and budgeting
• risk assessment and mitigation
• strategic financial decision-making

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of chartered accountant interview questions for examples (with sample answers).