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Hiring a bookkeeping service in Canada comes down to three things: what they’ll do each month, what they’ll hand back to you, and who answers to the CRA. The last one is you. The CRA says you stay responsible for your records even when someone else keeps them, so the firm you pick should make that easy for you to check.
What does a bookkeeping service actually do?
A good one records your sales, expenses and bank activity, reconciles the accounts and produces reports you can read. Many also track GST/HST and payroll remittances. Some offer more, like preparing statements for your accountant.
It doesn’t do your thinking for you. If you’re searching for a specific firm by name, LBN Bookkeeping being one example, the name tells you nothing about the quality of the work. What matters is the scope in writing and the results you can inspect.
We haven’t said what any firm charges or how one compares with another. We couldn’t confirm prices or service claims from an official source, and those change. Compare quotes for an identical scope.
What should be in the agreement?
| Item | What to ask for |
|---|---|
| Scope | A list of tasks: sales, bills, bank reconciliation, GST/HST, payroll |
| Schedule | When each month the books are closed and reports are sent |
| Access | Your own login to the software, not just emailed PDFs |
| Records | How you get a full copy if you leave |
| Storage | How long they keep your documents and where |
| Contact | Who you deal with and how fast they reply |
The access line is the one people skip.
If the books live only inside the firm’s account, leaving becomes painful, because you’d have to ask for exports, wait for them, and then hope the data loads cleanly into whatever you switch to next, all while a filing date is getting closer.
What records do you have to keep?
The CRA describes records as anything holding financial information, such as ledgers, journals, financial statements, returns and correspondence. Paper or digital is fine. You keep them for six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to, unless the CRA has agreed you can destroy them sooner.
The CRA can examine computerized records with the same care as paper ones. So when a bookkeeper works in software, ask yourself if you could produce a report on the spot when the CRA asks for one.
Which numbers should the books be able to show?
Ask a prospective bookkeeper to work through a simple case in front of you. Suppose you invoice $2,500 in Ontario. The GST/HST calculator shows $325 of HST, so the client pays $2,825. A competent set of books puts $2,500 in sales and $325 in tax owing to the government, and it keeps them apart.
Now add an employee. At $2,000 gross a month, the payroll remittance calculator gives $391.82 to remit for that pay period, with $244.53 held back from the employee and $147.29 as your share. Your bookkeeper should record each piece, and you should be able to see them.
Finally, ask what they hand your accountant at year end. For a corporation with $100,000 of taxable Ontario income, the corporate tax calculator shows $11,696 for calendar 2026. That figure depends entirely on the quality of the books behind it.
Where bookkeeping services go wrong
Late uploads are the classic problem.
If you send receipts in a bag every six months, no firm can keep the books current.
Another is unclear ownership of tasks. Who files the GST/HST return? Who pays the payroll remittance? Write it down, because a missed date costs you, not them.
Then there’s the mix of personal and business spending. A bookkeeper can only sort what they can identify, so use a separate account and card. If you’re self-employed, the self-employed tax calculator shows what tax and CPP take from your net income, and it leaves out GST/HST, EI and business expenses.
Should you just do it yourself? For a small side business with a few dozen transactions a month, maybe. Once you have payroll or sales tax to remit, the time cost adds up quickly.
Where the numbers come from
Record-keeping rules come from the Canada Revenue Agency’s guide to keeping records. Tax and payroll figures are from the calculators on this site, using 2026 data. The site isn’t linked to the government or to any firm named here.
Frequently asked questions
Am I still responsible if a bookkeeper keeps my records?
Yes. The CRA says the responsibility for your records stays with you even when someone else manages them.
How long must I keep my business records?
Six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to, unless the CRA has given you permission to destroy them earlier.
What should I get from a bookkeeper each month?
Reconciled accounts, a report you can read and a clear record of GST/HST and any payroll amounts owed.
Should I have my own login to the accounting software?
Yes. It keeps your data reachable if you change firms or the relationship ends.
What do outside bookkeepers charge?
We couldn't confirm prices from an official source. Ask two or three firms to quote the same written scope.
- Self-employed taxes in Canada: income, CPP and GST
How tax works when you are self-employed in Canada: reporting income and expenses, paying both halves of CPP, instalments and when to register for GST
Information only. This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Tax-Services.ca is an independent publisher: we don't prepare or file tax returns or offer tax services, and we have no connection with the CRA, Revenu Québec, any government or any company named on this page. Check the figures that matter with an official source or a qualified professional.