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Sales tax in Canada isn’t one thing. Your filing frequency depends on what CRA assigned at registration, and the rules differ by province. Count myAccount prepares the right return for your jurisdiction and files it on time, every period.
Count myAccount files sales tax returns for Canadian small businesses — GST/HST federally, PST where applicable (BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba), and QST in Quebec. Filing cadence depends on CRA’s assigned reporting period: annual for most small businesses, quarterly for some, monthly for high-volume filers. Fixed price per return. Count myAccount handles preparation, ITC review, CRA submission, and correspondence after the fact.
Sales tax filing fits a few specific situations. If any of these describe your business, Count myAccount handles it end-to-end.
Once taxable sales exceed $30,000 in a single quarter — or over four consecutive quarters — GST/HST registration is mandatory. You have 29 days from that date. Count myAccount handles registration before the first return.
Unfiled returns are one of the most common starting points. Count myAccount works through the backlog first, then sets up the ongoing schedule.
These provinces run their own sales tax systems — PST in BC, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan; QST in Quebec — separate from the federal GST. If your business operates or sells into those provinces, federal compliance alone doesn’t cover you. Count myAccount files for the correct taxes based on where you operate and where your customers are.
Sales tax returns are mechanical once the books are clean. When they take longer than they should, the issue is usually upstream, in how transactions were categorized. Count myAccount addresses both.
Need more than sales tax? See our Monthly Bookkeeping, Business & Corporate Tax, and Payroll Management pages.
The right filing depends on your province, your revenue, and the nature of your sales. Count myAccount files accordingly.
GST/HST return preparation. Count myAccount pulls your sales figures, calculates tax collected, identifies eligible Input Tax Credits on business purchases, and produces the net amount owing or refund. The return is prepared from your bookkeeping records — clean books matter here, and Count myAccount flags gaps before they become filing errors.
Input Tax Credit review. ITCs reduce what you owe. Not every expense qualifies, and the rules around mixed-use assets, meals, and certain services require judgment. Count myAccount reviews ITC eligibility on every return.
CRA electronic submission and filing confirmation. Returns are filed electronically. Count myAccount submits and keeps confirmation of each filing.
PST filing — BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan. Each of these provinces runs its own sales tax with separate registration, separate returns, and separate remittance deadlines. Count myAccount handles PST compliance alongside GST where applicable.
QST filing — Quebec. Quebec’s sales tax is entirely separate from the federal system — its own registration, its own return format, its own rules for input tax refunds. Count myAccount files QST returns for businesses operating in or selling into Quebec.
Instalment and payment tracking. Sales tax owing is due on the same date as the return. For quarterly and annual filers, CRA may require instalment payments during the year. Count myAccount tracks both.
Catch-up filings. Unfiled periods get addressed first. CRA’s late-filing penalty for GST/HST starts at 1% of the amount owing plus 0.25% per month, to a maximum of 12 months. Filing stops that from growing.
GST/HST registration. If you’ve crossed the $30,000 threshold without registering, Count myAccount handles registration with CRA before the first return goes in.
Each sales tax package covers the full filing cycle — preparation through CRA correspondence:
GST/HST return preparation
ITC review and application
CRA electronic submission
Filing confirmation retained
Instalment tracking
PST filing (BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan) where applicable
QST filing (Quebec) where applicable
Catch-up filing for prior periods
CRA correspondence handling
On the Monthly Bookkeeping plan, sales data flows from the same records into each return. No separate pulls, no duplication.
This is where most business owners get it wrong: the frequency isn’t something you choose after registration. CRA assigns it based on your annual taxable sales, and it’s binding until you request a change.
One return per year, due three months after your fiscal year-end. If last year’s net tax exceeded $3,000, CRA also requires quarterly instalment payments during the year — in addition to the annual return.
Four returns per year, each due one month after the quarter ends.
Required above $6 million in taxable sales. Some businesses below that threshold elect monthly voluntarily — usually those in a consistent refund position who want faster access to that money.
Count myAccount confirms your assigned period at intake and tracks every deadline from there. If your revenue has grown and your reporting period should be updated, Count myAccount handles that with CRA.
Five steps, from a registration check to an ongoing filing cadence you never have to track. One team owns the calendar.
Count myAccount confirms your GST/HST registration status, assigned reporting period, and any outstanding filings. If you haven’t registered and are past the threshold, that happens first.
Unfiled periods are addressed in order. Count myAccount files them and retains confirmation of each. That stops the penalty from accumulating further.
Count myAccount pulls your sales and purchase records, calculates tax collected and ITCs, and prepares the return. You see the net amount owing before anything is submitted.
Count myAccount files electronically. You receive a copy of the CRA confirmation.
Each subsequent period runs the same way. You receive a summary and the net amount owing before the deadline. The calendar is Count myAccount’s problem, not yours.
Sales tax filing packages are priced per return period. Businesses filing quarterly or monthly can arrange a monthly retainer that covers all filings for the year at one fixed amount.
On the Monthly Bookkeeping plan, sales data flows directly from bookkeeping records into each return. The same transactions that close your books each month feed the next filing — no separate data round, nothing reconstructed from receipts at the last minute.
Most filing services just submit the numbers you hand them and go quiet until the next deadline. Count myAccount runs a managed filing process built around your province and schedule — here’s what that means in practice.
The tax varies by province, and so does the filing. A BC business pays PST on a separate schedule under separate rules. A Quebec business deals with QST. Count myAccount files for the correct tax in the correct jurisdiction — the approach changes based on where you operate, not on a default template.
Your filing frequency is assigned, not chosen. CRA sets your reporting period at registration. Most small businesses start on annual. As revenue grows, it can shift — and when it does, Count myAccount handles the update with CRA. You don’t manage that conversation.
ITC review happens on every return, not just setup. Most businesses leave money unclaimed because ITC eligibility isn’t checked consistently. Meals, mixed-use assets, software — the rules are specific. Count myAccount reviews every return, not just the first one.
The books and the filing come from the same records. Sales tax returns built from disorganized records produce wrong numbers. On the Monthly Bookkeeping plan, the numbers that close your books each month go straight into the next return.
Filing is not the end of the engagement. If CRA sends an assessment or a query on a submitted return, Count myAccount responds. The work doesn’t stop at the submission confirmation.
Most sales tax filing is a submit-and-forget service. Count myAccount is managed filing with accountability built in.
Count myAccount files the right return for your province, on the schedule CRA assigned, at a fixed price per period.