Are You Taking Ownership of Your Career?
A Guide for the Canadian Independent Contractor
by Dennis R. Dowling

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Not everyone is suited to be an employee! Operating a business to manufacture or sell a product is easy for those who have the capital resources to do so. For those brought up in the information age and educated to provide services rather than sell a product, it is not as easy. Independent contracting is a legitimate means to be self-employed in order to provide services, as long as you follow the rules. This book shows the financial and non-financial advantages of independent contracting. It also points out the win-win position for the contractor and the employer. What it takes to become a contractor and how to organize your company are discussed. A major concern for contractors is in knowing what you can claim as expenses. This book lays out the most common expense claims and discusses how to pay you for your time and your return on your investment. The book provides some guidance on the prudent investment of the cash that builds within your company. This last issue can be the factor that determines the ultimate success of you taking ownership of your career!

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“This book can be a tool to success in the IT consulting area and has many ideas that most contractors fail to do, which if done could make them very successful in their careers and business.” — Graham Wheatley, CGA “A read of this book will be as enlightening to an independent contractor as it was for a Christian reading the bible for the first time. This book deals with all of the pertinent issues facing independent contractors operating in the 21st century.” ­— Adrian Nagy, CA

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Dennis R. Dowling is a Chartered Professional Accountant (Chartered Accountant – Alberta) and Certified Financial Planner. Dennis graduated with honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from Queen’s University at Kingston in 1971. He articled with a national accounting firm in Kingston before transferring with the firm to Edmonton in 1978. After short management stints in the banking industry and with the Alberta Institute of Chartered Accountants, he joined a local accounting firm and became a partner in 1983. Dennis worked extensively with independent contractors in his accounting practice between 1996 and his retirement in late 2011. As at his retirement, Dennis had a clientele that included approximately 350 corporate independent contractors. He accumulated over 14,000 hours of face to face meetings with independent contractors and has written numerous articles on independent contracting for his clients and one of the major information technology organizations. He has presented various seminars for prospective contractors and specifically for his clients. Dennis was a co-founding partner of a national Chartered Accounting firm in 2003. He was the managing partner of the Edmonton office and chaired the national firm’s independent contractor committee until his retirement.

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Contributors

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Dennis R. Dowling