SRJ Chartered Professional Accountants

SRJ Chartered Professional Accountants: Toronto accounting for small businesses and professionals

SRJ Chartered Professional Accountants is an accounting firm based in downtown Toronto that works primarily with small business owners and professionals. The firm presents itself as a one-stop practice covering bookkeeping, corporate and personal tax filings, HST, payroll and related accounting work. Its stated focus is on small businesses, with the aim of aligning both business and personal finances.

The practice operates from an office at 20 Adelaide St E #920, Toronto, ON M5C 2T6, and lists additional locations in Mississauga, North York, Oakville, Edmonton and Burnaby. It serves industries and associations across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), according to the firm.

Services for individuals and corporations

On the personal side, SRJ prepares personal tax returns and offers tax planning strategies intended to maximize net worth and minimize tax liability over the long term. The firm also handles GST/HST housing rebate applications and reviews eligibility for specialty tax credits.

For corporations, the practice prepares corporate tax returns with what it describes as timely and accurate filing within the six-month post-fiscal period deadline. It also provides incorporation services, SR&ED claims, bookkeeping, financial statements and professional corporation structures. Advisory work includes valuation, litigation support, estate planning, and forecasting and budgeting.

Bookkeeping is available through cloud accounting, outsource bookkeeping and virtual bookkeeping arrangements. The firm also offers financial statement reviews and financial audits.

Industry-specific programs

SRJ has tailored programs for several professional groups. For doctors who own a clinic or work in a hospital, the firm structures the practice to minimize tax liability. Dentists buying or building a practice can get help obtaining financing. Startups with significant research and development spending can have their SR&ED filings optimized to recover more money. Consultants operating as sole proprietors or small firms can have their practice structured to save on taxes. Chiropractors who are new OCA graduates are offered a special deal on a tax and bookkeeping package. Small businesses are offered number-crunching support so owners can focus on running their operations.

The firm also lists business consultants, lawyers, real estate professionals, psychotherapists and psychiatrists, tech companies, eCommerce businesses, marketing agencies and physiotherapists among the industries it serves.

The partners behind the practice

The team is led by four designated accountants. Shayan Rashid, CPA, is a co-founder with over a decade of experience in tax planning, corporate structuring and financial advisory. He holds his CPA designation from CPA Ontario and specializes in professional corporations, SR&ED claims and multi-entity tax strategy.

Junaid Usmani, CPA, CA, MTax, is also a co-founder. He holds a Master of Taxation from the University of Waterloo and his Chartered Accountant and CPA designations from CPA Ontario. His expertise covers corporate tax planning, holding company structures and business valuations, and he works closely with healthcare professionals, lawyers and tech companies.

Tracie Heier, CPA, CA, MPAcc, is a partner focused on client engagement and practice management. She works directly with business owners in healthcare, legal and professional services, with an emphasis on long-term client relationships and translating financial data into clear guidance.

Arif Amjad, CPA, CA, M. Tax, is a tax partner specializing in Canadian taxation for small and medium-sized businesses and e-commerce enterprises. He is described as dedicated to cloud-based solutions and to helping SMBs with tax optimization, bookkeeping and strategic financial management.

Client feedback and reputation

The firm's website displays a rating of "Excellent" based on 96 reviews, with Trustindex verifying that the original source of the reviews is Google. The published testimonials highlight professional and responsive service, clear explanations, and satisfaction with bookkeeping, corporate tax and advisory work. One testimonial comes from Abraham Top, a partner at Diamond & Diamond Lawyers, who describes the firm's willingness to spend time understanding his needs.

Tools and client resources

SRJ provides online calculators for burn rate and cash runway, DSO calculation, EBITDA and the SR&ED tax credit. The site also includes a blog, forms, careers information and a client login area.