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Real Estate Agents: Home Office vs. Broker Desk Fees (Pick the Right One Before You File)
CRA says you can't claim both. The math to pick the bigger deduction for your real estate business.
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Accountly Team·
Built for self-employed
Accounting for Canadian real estate agents
Track desk fees, MLS dues, mileage, and home office in one place. Your T2125 totals update as you go. No scrambling at year-end, no shoebox of receipts for your accountant.
Start free for 30 days No credit card required
Commission in. Expenses everywhere.
Real estate is high-revenue, high-expense, high-paperwork. Vehicle costs, desk fees, MLS dues, marketing, the broker's split, the home office. By April, the receipts are scattered and the deductions you legitimately earned go missing. Accountly catches them as they happen.
Track every commission, broker split, and refund
Log gross commission, then capture the broker's split, transaction fees, and any cooperating brokerage adjustments. Your reported income matches what the CRA sees on T4As — no reconciliation headaches.
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Gross commission and net commission tracked separately - Brokerage splits and transaction fees as expenses
- GST/HST collected and remitted, calculated for you
Mileage that holds up to a CRA review
Showings, listing photos, open houses, broker meetings. Log kilometres against trips and Accountly stores it with the rest of your records. Pair with fuel, insurance, and maintenance receipts for a clean vehicle deduction.
- Log business-use kilometres trip by trip
- Capture fuel, maintenance, insurance, and parking
- Vehicle expense calculation done for you
T2125-ready, all year round
As you log income and expenses, your T2125 fills in. By tax time, every line is calculated and every receipt is attached. Hand it to your accountant or file yourself — no last-minute scrambling.
- T2125 totals update in real time
- Every expense backed by a receipt or note
- Invite your accountant for read-only or edit access
Deductions real estate agents actually claim
Built into Accountly's categories, not buried in a generic accounting app.
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MLS & board dues
Local board fees, MLS subscriptions, and CREA dues are all deductible business expenses.
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Brokerage desk fees
Monthly desk fees, transaction fees, and brokerage splits. Every dollar tracked and deducted.
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Vehicle & mileage
Showings, listing visits, open houses. Log kilometres and the business-use percentage of your auto costs.
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Home office
If you do real work from home, claim a percentage of utilities, internet, and rent or mortgage interest.
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Marketing & advertising
Listing photos, signage, social ads, mailers, business cards — all deductible.
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Continuing education
Courses, designations, conferences. RECO, OREA, and provincial education count.
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Phone & internet
Business-use portion of your phone bill and home internet.
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Professional fees
Accountant, lawyer, errors-and-omissions insurance, professional liability.
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Client gifts & closings
Closing gifts, client meals, and reasonable entertainment expenses.
Real estate tax guides
Specifics, deadlines, and the math — written for Canadian agents.
Guide
Tax Season Guide for Real Estate Agents: Filing Your T2125 on Commission Income
Step-by-step guide for Canadian real estate agents filing their T2125. Commission income, GST/HST, vehicle expenses, and key deadlines.
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Accountly Team·
Guide
Taxes, Bookkeeping, and Accounting for New Canadian Real Estate Agents
A complete guide to managing taxes, expenses, and accounting as a new real estate agent in Canada.
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Accountly Team·
Guide
Becoming a Real Estate Agent in Canada
A complete guide to getting your real estate license in Canada, from courses and costs to choosing a brokerage and surviving your first year.
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Accountly Team·Real estate agent FAQs
Is Accountly built for Canadian real estate agents?
Yes. Accountly is built for self-employed Canadians, including commission-based agents who file a T2125. Categories like MLS dues, desk fees, vehicle, and home office are set up the way the CRA expects.
Does Accountly handle the T2125 for commission income?
Yes. As you log income and expenses, your T2125 totals update automatically. You or your accountant can review the breakdown by line item before filing.
Can I track mileage between showings and listings?
Yes. You can log kilometres against business-use trips. The CRA requires a logbook for vehicle deductions, and Accountly stores that with your records.
Should I claim home office or my brokerage desk fees?
Often both. Desk fees are a flat deduction for using brokerage space. Home office is for the percentage of your home used for real estate work — paperwork, calls, prep. Many agents claim each for the way they actually use them.
When do I need to register for GST/HST as a real estate agent?
Once your gross commission income crosses $30,000 in any four-quarter period, you must register with the CRA and start charging GST/HST on commissions.
Can I share my books with my accountant?
Yes. Invite your accountant directly into your Accountly account. They get access to your books and the T2125 totals — no email back-and-forth, no missing receipts.
Stop losing deductions to messy records.
Free for 30 days. No credit card required.