Who Are We?
CCN (CColesNotes.com Consulting Inc.) is a tax, accounting, and business advisory firm. Our office is in Esquimalt, BC, just outside downtown Victoria, and you’re welcome to visit us there. We started in Alberta and still serve a large client base there, along with clients across Canada and around the world, both virtually and in person. Over the years we’ve helped thousands of clients. Most are small-business owners and sole proprietors, and we also work with corporations, non-profits, charities, and estates. We handle personal and business tax returns, bookkeeping, multi-year catch-up filings, and CRA problems. We also offer financial consulting, strategic planning, and estate planning. Our firm has grown by adapting to change, and we’ll keep evolving. Whatever the future looks like, our mission stays the same: to save you time, money, and headaches.
Behind Our Name
Just like the classic study guides that made difficult subjects simple, CCN was founded by Clint Cole to deliver the “ColesNotes” of taxes in Canada: a down-to-earth, personal approach to communicating Canada’s complex tax system to clients, so that they can make decisions understanding the impacts. Tax legislation and business accounting can feel overwhelming; our job is to translate it all into plain, actionable language.
Every tax client receives our proprietary CCNotes summary: a clear, transparent, plain-English breakdown of exactly what went into your return. This ensures nothing is missed, no deductions are over-claimed, and complete accountability is maintained before you sign off on your filing.
Our Mission: To Save You Time, Money, and Headaches
Personal, Corporate & Estate Tax
Expert preparation across all filing tiers, from straightforward returns to complex corporate structures, estate and final filings, and non-profit returns.
CRA Dispute Resolution & Back Taxes
Calm, decisive support for overdue filings, unfiled back taxes, and full audit representation to resolve tax disputes with confidence.
Certified Full-Cycle Bookkeeping
QBO and Xero certified bookkeeping, payroll, remittances, and cleanup, backed by free access to our proprietary cloud tools for active tax clients.
Strategic Business & Financial Advisory
Incorporation guidance, tax integration strategy, RRSP retirement meltdowns, and practical emerging tech workflows to keep your business ahead of the curve.
Yesterday’s Service, Today’s Technology
Whether meeting in person at our Esquimalt office or collaborating virtually, our multilingual team (English, Mandarin, and Filipino) brings high-touch customer care, first-responder discipline, and modern tech efficiency to every file.
You gain a dedicated team of accountants, bookkeepers, and administrative staff delivering sharp technical expertise alongside exceptional customer care. Behind our core team stands a trusted network of CPAs, lawyers, and IT consultants, ready to support your personal and business needs at every step.
You get a small firm that answers the phone, with a large firm’s bench behind it.
Communication
Errors, missed deadlines, damaged relationships, and costly do-overs almost always trace back to one thing: communication breakdowns resulting in missed expectations. Clint learned that across more than 25 years in emergency response, finance and tax, construction, and project management.
In life-and-death emergencies, communication has to be right the first time, because lives depend on it.
Firefighters rely on two proven systems to make that happen. The Incident Command System shows who is responsible for what, in real time, on the record. Closed-loop communication makes sure every message is sent, acknowledged, and confirmed.
Although taxes aren’t life and death, why not use the same systems we entrust our lives to? CCN runs every client file on the same systems, refined over 25 years of practice:
- We say it. Every instruction and request is clearly communicated.
- You confirm it. The receiver acknowledges it and responds.
- We close the loop. We confirm that the response was received before anything is acted on.
Education
The more you learn and know, the better your decisions are.
On the Record
Your engagements and history with us are available to view at any time, even years later.
Transparency
We show our work and retain a log of all communications.
Accountability
For us, for you, and for the CRA!
Meet Our Team
Clint
Director
Gretchen
Manager
Kevin
Admin
Cashew
Paper Shredder