Practical guides on CRA deadlines, bookkeeping best practices, payroll rules, and tax strategies — written for Canadian business owners, not accountants.
Records, receipts, ITCs, mileage, shareholder accounts — keep your books clean and CRA-ready.
8 articlesT4As, employee vs contractor classification, salary vs dividends — paying people correctly.
6 articlesDeadlines, instalments, GST/HST, notices of assessment — navigating the CRA without surprises.
10 articles24 articles
Miss a CRA deadline and you'll pay automatic penalties. Here's every filing and payment deadline your business needs to track in 2026 — T1, T2, GST/HST, and payroll.
Once your revenue hits $30,000, GST/HST registration isn't optional — it's the law. Here's how the threshold works, when to register, and what happens if you wait too long.
The CRA doesn't always wait until filing season to collect. Find out if you're required to make quarterly or monthly instalment payments — and how to calculate them correctly.
Your Notice of Assessment is more than a receipt — it affects your RRSP room, benefit eligibility, and audit risk. Here's how to decode every section and what to do when something looks wrong.
Quebec has its own sales tax system on top of the federal GST. Here's a plain-language guide to QST registration, filing frequencies, input tax refunds, and what's different from the rest of Canada.
The CRA's 2026 per-kilometre rate determines how much you can deduct for business driving. Here's what the rate is, how to track it correctly, and what the CRA expects if you're ever audited.
The CRA requires businesses to keep most records for six years — but the clock doesn't always start when you think. Here's exactly what to keep, how long, and what you can safely discard.
If you're GST/HST registered, you can claim back the tax you paid on business expenses. Here's how ITCs work, what qualifies, what doesn't, and how to claim them without triggering a review.
Withdrawing money from your corporation as a shareholder loan has strict CRA rules. Miss the repayment window and that loan becomes fully taxable personal income — here's how to stay compliant.
If you paid a self-employed individual more than $500 for services, you likely need to issue a T4A. Here's when it's required, which boxes to fill, and how to file it with the CRA by the February deadline.
Misclassifying workers costs thousands in back-taxes, CPP, and EI. The CRA has specific criteria for telling employees from contractors — here's how to get the classification right from day one.
Should you pay yourself a salary or dividends from your corporation? The answer depends on your tax rate, RRSP room, and CPP contributions — here's a practical breakdown for Canadian business owners.
Tax rates, liability, setup costs, RRSP room, and the lifetime capital gains exemption — a complete side-by-side comparison to help you decide when incorporation makes financial sense.
Work from home? The CRA allows you to deduct a portion of rent, utilities, property taxes, and more. Here's how to calculate your business-use percentage and which expenses qualify.
The SBD reduces corporate tax to 9% on the first $500,000 of active income. Here's who qualifies, how the passive income grind-down works, and combined rates by province.
No employer matching — but the RRSP is still one of your most powerful tax tools. Here's how contribution room is calculated, the 60-day deadline, and how it changes if you incorporate.
Missing a payroll remittance deadline triggers automatic CRA penalties of 3% to 10% — and doubles on a second offence. Here's what to remit, when, and how to never miss a deadline.
A complete month-by-month checklist from October to February — reconciliations, payroll wrap-up, T4/T4A prep, GST/HST reconciliation, and everything your bookkeeper needs to close your books cleanly.
Getting a GST number is just the beginning — you also need to file returns on time. Here's how to calculate net tax, choose between the Regular and Quick Method, file online, and handle a balance owing.
Ontario's 13% HST, Employer Health Tax, and WSIB create a specific compliance picture. Here's how online bookkeeping works for Ontario businesses — and what to look for in a remote bookkeeper.
Payroll audits are more common than most business owners expect. Here's what triggers one, what the CRA examines, what penalties apply, and how to be ready before the letter arrives.
From registering your CRA payroll account to issuing your first T4 — a step-by-step guide to setting up payroll correctly, calculating CPP, EI, and income tax, and meeting every CRA deadline.
What bookkeeping actually involves, cash vs accrual, bank reconciliation, GST/HST tracking, financial statements, and when it makes sense to stop doing it yourself.
10 CRA-approved strategies for reducing what you owe — from choosing the right structure to salary vs dividends, RRSP contributions, CCA timing, family salaries, and the GST/HST Quick Method.