GST & Provincial Sales Tax in Calgary

Most businesses and corporations in Canada are required to have a GST account, and are required to file GST returns on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. Let us take this task off your to-do list, and offer you the peace of mind knowing that a professional has prepared the GST return for you.

Our Calgary small business accountants have this covered.  From ensuring that your GST account is set up appropriately, to streamlining your reporting, we can work with you to make GST reporting less time consuming and an easier task to complete as part of your corporate accounting. Our experienced tax technicians and accountants in Calgary will work with you to optimize your returns, and offer suggestions for how you might be able to optimize this even more in the future. We will remind you of your filing & payment deadlines, make changes to your account as you request, and handle inquiries by Canada Revenue Agency in regards to the GST account

We also prepare & file sales tax returns for other provinces. Contact us today to find out how we can help!

Collecting & paying GST is a common area of confusion for businesses, and our team of tax accountants in Calgary is here to bring clarity and make sense of this complex aspect of business.

Some things to consider:

  1. Does the corporation have revenue at a level that requires a GST account

  2. Is the industry the corporation belongs to GST exempt?

  3. Would it be advantageous to have a GST account even if the corporation’s revenue level doesn’t require it, in order to claim the GST paid on corporate expenses?

  4. Should the corporation file GST returns using the Regular Method of accounting or the Quick Method? https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/cra-arc/formspubs/pub/rc4058/rc4058-19e.pdf

  5. Are all services GST applicable, or are some exempt? If this is the case, how is this distinguished on invoices issued to clients/customers?

  6. Should I report GST on an annual, quarterly or monthly basis?

  7. If the corporation is conducting business outside of Alberta, what are the obligations for sales tax in that province, and how are returns for this prepared and filed?

  8. Are you operating an online business in Calgary that ships and sells product to the US or other provinces?

Frequently Asked Questions

A: The due date for your GST return is determined by your reporting period:

Corporate GST Accounts & Reporting

  • Corporations that file GST on an Annual basis have a payment & filing deadline 3 months after the yearend date of the GST account.

    • For example, a corporation with a GST yearend date of September 30 must file a return and pay any GST owing by Dec 31 of the same year.

  • Corporations that file GST on a quarterly basis have a payment & filing deadline 1 month following the end of the reporting period.

    • For example, for a reporting period covering April – June a GST return must be filed and payment of any GST owing must be made by July 31.

  • Corporations that file GST on a monthly basis have a payment & filing deadline 1 month after the end of the month.

    • For example, for February, a return must be filed and payment of any GST owing must be made by March 31.

It is important to note that a GST account yearend can be different than a corporation’s yearend. If you’re not sure of your reporting periods and filing requirements, we would be happy to help. Contact us today to find out more!

Individual/Sole Proprietor GST Accounts & Reporting

  • Individuals with a GST account for a personal business (sole proprietorship) typically report GST in line with the calendar year (January 1 – December 31). Generally these returns are due to be filed by June 15 of the following year, however if GST is owed to the government, the payment deadline is April 30.

    • Some sole proprietors have an April 30 filing & payment deadline.

    • Some sole proprietors are required to file GST quarterly. In this case the GST return, as well as payment of any GST owing are due at the end of the following month.

      • For example, the reporting period is January – March, return & payment are due April 30.

Exceptions to payment deadlines

When a filing & payment deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or a publicly recognized holiday – your payment is on time if it is submitted to CRA on the next business day.

  • Yes. As a business with a GST account there is a legal obligation to file a return for every reporting period return even if your business did not have any transactions in the period.

  • The due date for your GST return is determined by your reporting period:

    Corporate GST Accounts & Reporting

    Corporations that file GST on an Annual basis have a payment & filing deadline 3 months after the yearend date of the GST account.

    For example, a corporation with a GST yearend date of September 30 must file a return and pay any GST owing by Dec 31 of the same year.

    Corporations that file GST on a quarterly basis have a payment & filing deadline 1 month following the end of the reporting period.

    For example, for a reporting period covering April – June a GST return must be filed and payment of any GST owing must be made by July 31.

    Corporations that file GST on a monthly basis have a payment & filing deadline 1 month after the end of the month.

    For example, for February, a return must be filed and payment of any GST owing must be made by March 31.