Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
To find a good bookkeeper in Canada, start with what you need done, then interview two or three people with the same list of questions. Ask to see how they’d handle your kind of business, who else touches your files, and where your records will live. Picking on price alone is how people end up redoing a year of books.
Start with the job, not the person
Write down what you want handed off. Weekly entries and bank matching? Payroll and remittances? GST/HST returns? A monthly report you can read in five minutes? Bookkeepers differ a lot in what they take on, and a vague brief gets a vague quote.
Count your volume as well: roughly how many invoices, bills and bank lines a month. It’s the number they’ll price from, and it tells you if you need a person or a software tool with a helper.
Say Tariq runs a food truck in Surrey. He has about 80 card sales a day, one part-timer and a GST/HST return to file, and he wants the books done weekly. That one paragraph is a better brief than “I need help with my books”, and it gets him three quotes he can actually compare.
What should you check before you hire?
Ask about training and any membership, then verify it with the body itself rather than trusting a badge on a website. There’s no single national licence that every bookkeeper in Canada must hold, so the checking is on you.
Then ask about experience with your kind of business. A restaurant with tips, a contractor with subs, and a consultant with one client each have different books. Ask for a reference you can call, and call.
Ask which software they use, and whether the file is in your name. If they leave, you should walk away with everything. Never let your only copy of your books live in someone else’s account.
Questions worth asking on the first call
| Ask | What a good answer sounds like |
|---|---|
| Who does the work? | Named person, or a clear description of who handles what |
| Where are my records stored? | In Canada, or they explain and mention CRA permission |
| What do I have to send you, and when? | A short, specific list with dates |
| How do you handle a missing receipt? | An expense journal entry, not a guess |
| What does the quote include? | Written, with extras listed |
Rates differ by city, by volume and by how messy the books are, so no range is given here. Get a written quote from each and compare what each one covers before you look at the total.
Where your records have to live
This one catches people.
Keep your records at your Canadian residence or place of business, unless you have permission from the CRA to keep them somewhere else.
Keeping Records, canada.ca
The same page also says to keep records created by computerized systems, such as accounting software. If your bookkeeper uses a cloud service, ask where the data sits. And you still carry the six year retention period, counted from the end of the last tax year the records relate to, whoever holds the files.
What does a good first month look like?
Expect questions. A bookkeeper who takes over your books without asking about a single odd transaction isn’t looking closely. In month one you should get a list of items they couldn’t place, like an unexplained $400 withdrawal or a deposit with no invoice, plus a short summary of what’s set up: accounts, tax settings and who has access.
Give them read-only access to the bank feed where you can, and keep your own login to the books. Small receipts matter too. A $4 double-double from Timmies for a client meeting is still a receipt, and a good bookkeeper will tell you how they want to see it, whether that’s a photo in an app or a folder.
What can you check yourself afterwards?
You don’t need to be an expert to spot trouble. Look at the monthly reports. Do the bank balances match your statements? Is the same bill entered twice? Are the sales tax amounts sensible? Try the GST/HST calculator: on a $1,130 Ontario purchase the HST is $146.90. If a bookkeeper’s entry doesn’t add up like that, ask why.
If you have staff, ask how they’ll work out and remit deductions. The payroll remittance calculator gives you a rough figure to compare with. The self-employed tax calculator shows what your yearly tax looks like, so you can tell if the numbers your bookkeeper hands your accountant are in the right area. For example, on $80,000 of net income in Ontario it shows $22,126 of income tax and CPP.
Warning signs
Walk away if they won’t put terms in writing, and take note if the person you met on the first call turns out not to be the person doing your books.
Be careful if they want the only login to your bank, or say they’ll sort out missing years “later”. Be wary too of anyone who promises big refunds or deductions before seeing your books. And if they can’t explain something in plain words, they may not understand it.
Start with a short trial, such as one quarter. It’s much cheaper to change course after three months than after two years.
What this page is based on
Record location and retention rules come from the Canada Revenue Agency‘s guidance on keeping records. Tax examples are worked out by our tools on 2026 federal and Ontario rates. This is an independent site with no connection to any government body or any bookkeeping firm.
Frequently asked questions
Do bookkeepers in Canada need a licence?
We couldn't confirm a single national licence. Ask about training and membership, then check with the issuing body.
How much does a bookkeeper cost?
We couldn't confirm typical rates. Get written quotes and compare what each includes.
Should my bookkeeper use my software account?
Yes, if you can. The file should be in your name so you can leave with your records.
Where must my books be kept?
The CRA says at your business or residence in Canada, unless it gives written permission otherwise. That covers electronic records.
How long should I try someone before committing?
A quarter is a fair trial. It's enough to see if reports arrive on time and match your bank.
- How to choose a tax preparer in Canada
How to decide if you need a tax preparer, what a preparer does, the questions to ask before you hire one and where to find free help in Canada