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The bookkeeping requirements specific to Alberta are lighter than in most provinces, because Alberta has no provincial sales tax. You collect 5% GST and nothing else on a sale, keep your records for six years, and file your corporate return with both the CRA and the province if you’re incorporated.
What does Alberta leave out that other provinces add?
No PST, no HST, no provincial sales tax return. Alberta’s own government says the province has no sales tax, so your books carry one sales tax line, and it belongs to the federal government. On a $1,000 sale the GST and HST calculator shows $50 of GST and a $1,050 total.
Trivial? Only until you sell to customers in other provinces. A sale shipped to Saskatchewan or Manitoba may carry a different tax, so code each invoice by where the customer is. The GST and PST calculator is handy for checking a few of them by hand.
Which records must an Alberta business keep, and for how long?
The rules come from the CRA, not from a provincial bookkeeping law. Keep records for six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to. Keep them at your place of business or home in Canada unless the CRA gives written permission to store them elsewhere. Some items last longer, such as records about buying property, and anything under an objection or appeal.
| Item | Rule | Who sets it |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 5% GST only, no provincial tax | CRA and Alberta.ca |
| Record retention | Six years from the end of the last tax year they cover | CRA |
| Federal corporate return | T2 filed with the CRA | CRA |
| Provincial corporate return | AT1, within 6 months of year end, filed electronically for most corporations | Alberta Tax and Revenue Administration |
| Small business limit (provincial) | $500,000 a year, shared if companies are associated | Alberta.ca |
| Corporate registry annual return | Due every year or the corporation may be dissolved | Alberta Corporate Registry |
Do I file one corporate return or two?
Two. People forget the second. Alberta says a corporation with a permanent establishment in the province files an AT1 return, and the federal T2 still goes to the CRA. Alberta’s page says returns for tax years beginning after 2024 are filed online for most corporations. Put both in the calendar the day your fiscal year ends. Six months is shorter than it feels.
The registry annual return is a third thing altogether. It keeps the corporation alive on the provincial register and isn’t a tax filing. Miss it and the corporation may be dissolved. Treat the reminder email as an actual deadline.
What does a small Alberta corporation pay?
Suppose a Canadian-controlled private corporation earns $400,000 of active business income and has no associated companies. Our corporate tax calculator gives $36,000 federal and $8,000 provincial, $44,000 in all, an 11% combined rate. The provincial small business rate in that figure comes from Alberta pages we could only partly confirm, so check it against the current AT1 guide before you budget with it.
It’s a rough figure. The tool ignores the taxable capital reduction and credits, and covers passive income through an optional box. If you pay yourself by salary, the payroll deductions calculator covers the withholding side.
Mistakes to avoid
The first is assuming “no PST” means “no sales tax records”. You still need GST on every invoice and a clean split of what you paid on purchases, since that’s what you claim back. The second is tossing receipts after a couple of years because the shoebox is full. Scan them. The third is mixing personal spending into the business account.
We didn’t find an Alberta-only law that tells a business how to keep its books, and old advice about a special provincial reporting standard doesn’t hold up. If a lender or investor asks for statements prepared by an accountant, that’s their requirement, not the province’s.
Where the numbers come from
Retention and storage rules are from the Canada Revenue Agency. The AT1 filing rule, the $500,000 limit and the no-sales-tax statement are from Alberta.ca pages, and the registry annual return is from the Corporate Registry pages. Calculator figures come from our 2026 data files. This site isn’t linked to any government body.
Frequently asked questions
Does Alberta have its own bookkeeping law?
We found no Alberta rule that sets how a business keeps its books. The record rules come from the CRA, and the province sets its own corporate tax return.
Do I charge sales tax in Alberta?
Only 5% GST. Alberta has no provincial sales tax, though sales to other provinces may carry theirs.
How long do I keep Alberta business records?
Six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to, and longer for some items such as property records.
What is the AT1 return?
It's Alberta's corporate income tax return, filed within 6 months of year end by corporations with a permanent establishment in the province.
Is the corporate registry annual return a tax filing?
No. It keeps the corporation on the provincial register, and missing it can lead to dissolution.
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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.