Question 1

What records should I keep for my business?

Accepted Answer

At a minimum: sales invoices, purchase receipts, expense records, bank statements, cancelled cheques, and deposit slips for your financial books; employee contracts, timesheets, and remittance details for payroll; and tax returns plus any supporting evidence for income, credits, exemptions, and deductions. Keep records separate per business and easily accessible. The CRA generally requires you to retain records for at least six years from the end of the relevant tax year — longer if there's an audit, an objection, real estate involved, or items carried forward indefinitely.

Question 2

Do I need a separate bank account for my business?

Accepted Answer

Yes — we strongly recommend it. A separate business account keeps personal and business activity distinct, simplifies bookkeeping, gives you a clean audit trail, and looks more professional to vendors and the CRA. Co-mingling personal and business funds is one of the most common — and most costly — bookkeeping mistakes we see.

Question 3

What is sales tax and what are Input Tax Credits?

Accepted Answer

Sales tax in Canada includes GST (federal), HST (combined federal-provincial), QST (Quebec), and PST (BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) — consumption taxes applied to most goods and services. Once your taxable revenues cross provincial thresholds, you must register, collect, and remit. Registration also lets you claim Input Tax Credits (ITCs) on the sales tax you pay on business inputs — provided you keep proper documentation.

Question 4

Do you work with QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop?

Accepted Answer

Both. Our staff is certified on QuickBooks Online and deeply experienced with Desktop, and we'll recommend whichever fits your business. Online is best when you need bank integrations, recurring vendor recognition, and access from anywhere. Desktop is often the better fit for smaller businesses, lower fees, and tighter security.

Question 5

How do you handle source documents?

Accepted Answer

We can store digital copies on secure servers, retain physical copies on-site, or — if you're online — attach the document directly to the corresponding transaction inside QuickBooks. We always recommend keeping both a digital and a physical backup.

Question 6

How long does onboarding take?

Accepted Answer

Most new clients are fully onboarded within two weeks. The biggest variable is how quickly we receive your historical documents — bank statements, prior year-end, and a current chart of accounts. Once those are in, we move quickly.

Question 7

What payroll schedules do you support?

Accepted Answer

Weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, monthly, and irregular or seasonal payrolls. We commit to your schedule — pay stubs and remittances go out on time, every pay run.

Question 8

Can you work with our existing payroll software?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We're happy to plug into the system you already use, collaborate with an in-house payroll administrator, or set up something new from scratch.

Question 9

Where are you located?

Accepted Answer

Our office is at 111 Sherwood Drive, Suite 201, Ottawa, ON K1Y 3V1. We serve clients across Canada — most of our work happens remotely, with in-person meetings available by appointment.

Question 10

How much do your services cost?

Accepted Answer

Pricing depends on transaction volume, the services you need, and your industry. Some engagements are billed hourly and others at a fixed rate — after a free consultation we scope your work and recommend whichever structure is fairest for the job. Either way, you'll have it in writing before we start.

Question 11

What's your response time?

Accepted Answer

We aim to respond to client questions within one business day. During tax season we batch responses to manage volume, but you'll never go more than 48 hours without hearing from us.

Questions clients ask before they sign on.

Ask us directly — we'll get back fast.