Straight answers to the tax, GST/HST, payroll, bookkeeping, and incorporation questions Alberta business owners ask most, built from official government guidance and explained in plain language.
Practical answers for owners
Each guide starts with a fast summary, then explains the rule, the business impact, and a practical next step. Relevant official Canadian government and regulatory links are included for verification.
Showing 53 of 53 guides
Personal tax and payrollA plain-language comparison of Canada's T1 income tax return and T4 employment slip, including who prepares each document and what business owners need to do.
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Bookkeeping systemsAn evidence-based framework for evaluating accounting software, data access, security, Canadian tax workflows, integrations, and migration risk without relying on vendor rankings.
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Accounting basicsTwenty practical accounting, GST/HST, payroll, corporate tax, and record-keeping questions, with concise answers and links to detailed official-source guides.
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Corporate taxA plain-language guide to T2 filing, corporate tax payment deadlines, and year-end planning for Calgary and Alberta corporations.
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Tax planningUnderstand Alberta and federal corporate tax rates, the small business deduction, and why the advertised rate is not the whole tax plan.
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GST/HSTA clear guide to the $30,000 small-supplier threshold, mandatory and voluntary GST/HST registration, and the first steps after registration.
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GST/HSTLearn how GST/HST reporting periods, filing deadlines, input tax credits, and invoice evidence work for an Alberta small business.
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PayrollA step-by-step payroll setup guide covering CRA accounts, TD1 forms, CPP, EI, income tax, remittances, and reliable employer records.
Read the full guidePayrollUnderstand T4 and ROE deadlines, electronic filing, interruption-of-earnings timing, and the records Alberta employers should prepare.
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Payroll complianceUse CRA’s whole-relationship approach to understand employee versus self-employed status, payroll exposure, documentation, and CPP/EI rulings.
Read the full guideBookkeepingA practical CRA-based records guide for Alberta companies: the six-year rule, electronic files, source documents, cloud systems, and exceptions.
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Starting a businessLearn what an Alberta corporation is, the official incorporation steps, and the legal, tax, and administrative questions to review first.
Read the full guideTax complianceA calm, official-source guide to CRA business audits, document requests, working with an auditor, secure communication, and next steps.
Read the full guidePayrollA clear guide to the work a Calgary payroll service can handle, the decisions the employer keeps, and the controls to confirm before the first pay run.
Read the full guidePayrollCompare outsourced and in-house payroll using workload, control, privacy, continuity, records, and compliance—not a generic claim that one model is always better.
Read the full guidePayrollA practical Canadian payroll-provider checklist covering scope, accountability, security, remittances, exports, implementation, and exit planning.
Read the full guidePayrollUnderstand Canadian payroll source deductions, CRA remitter types, due dates, nil and final remittances, and the evidence an employer should keep.
Read the full guidePayrollA 2026 Alberta employer guide to CPP, CPP2, EI, income-tax deductions, annual maximums, province of employment, and reliable payroll review.
Read the full guidePayrollA practical employer workflow for deciding whether a benefit or allowance is taxable, valuing it, applying payroll deductions, and reporting it correctly.
Read the full guideGST/HSTA practical Calgary GST/HST return checklist covering reporting periods, reconciliations, input tax credits, electronic filing, payment, and records.
Read the full guideGST/HSTWhat an Alberta GST/HST registrant should do after missing a return or payment deadline, including the current CRA penalty formula and a recovery checklist.
Read the full guideGST/HSTWhy an Alberta business may need to charge HST, how place of supply differs for goods and services, and what records support the rate used.
Read the full guideGST/HSTA careful comparison of GST/HST registration, net-tax methods, input tax credits, and public-service-body rebates for Canadian nonprofits and charities.
Read the full guideBusiness valuation supportA practical Calgary business valuation guide covering value drivers, income, market and asset approaches, the records a valuator may need, and the separate roles of a CPA, CBV and lawyer.
Read the full guideBusiness valuation supportA clear financial-records checklist for owners preparing for a business valuation, shareholder discussion, financing review or sale, based on CRA and BDC guidance.
Read the full guideOwnership transitionsA practical financial checklist for an Alberta shareholder buyout, including share rights, normalized earnings, working capital, debt, tax information and professional roles.
Read the full guideBusiness purchase and saleA plain-language comparison of buying or selling business assets versus corporate shares in Canada, including purchase-price allocation, goodwill, CCA, GST/HST and due diligence.
Read the full guideBusiness purchase and saleA Calgary-focused financial due-diligence checklist for buying or selling a private business, covering earnings quality, working capital, debt, tax, forecasts and data-room controls.
Read the full guideBusiness ValuationA practical Alberta guide to organizing business records for family-property discussions, valuation work and related tax questions.
Read the full guideProfessional PracticesA records-first guide for Alberta medical practices preparing for incorporation, succession, a transaction or independent valuation work.
Read the full guideBusiness ValuationA Canadian guide to organizing equipment, inventory, debt and operating records for an asset-heavy business valuation or transaction.
Read the full guideNonprofit AccountingA clear reporting and year-end checklist for Alberta nonprofits and registered charities, including annual returns, T3010 filings and financial records.
Read the full guideBookkeepingA practical monthly bank-reconciliation checklist for Calgary businesses, with review controls, common errors and CRA recordkeeping links.
Read the full guideCFO advisoryA practical guide to the work of a fractional CFO, the business signals that may justify strategic finance support, and the questions Calgary owners should ask before engaging one.
Read the full guideCash-flow planningA readable, evidence-based process for creating and maintaining a rolling 13-week cash-flow forecast using actual cash timing, documented assumptions, and regular variance review.
Read the full guideFinancial managementA plain-language comparison of bookkeeping, controllership, and CFO-level work, with practical criteria for choosing the right finance support without buying more scope than the business needs.
Read the full guideCorporate taxA practical corporate year-end checklist covering accounting records, reconciliations, tax documents, GIFI information, filing responsibilities, and questions to resolve before a T2 return is prepared.
Read the full guideCRA complianceA calm, step-by-step guide for comparing a corporate notice of assessment or reassessment with the filed T2, understanding adjustments, preserving deadlines, and choosing the right response.
Read the full guideCRA complianceAn evidence-based overview of the CRA taxpayer relief process, circumstances the CRA may consider, limits of the program, records to prepare, and alternatives when relief is not the right route.
Read the full guideCRA complianceA cautious guide to the CRA Voluntary Disclosures Program, including its purpose, threshold questions, records to assemble, and reasons to obtain advice before contacting the CRA.
Read the full guideCRA complianceA practical preparation guide for a CRA trust accounts examination focused on payroll deductions and GST/HST, including requested records, reconciliation steps, and response controls.
Read the full guideOwner-managed corporationsA cautious guide to recording money between a corporation and its shareholders, separating personal expenses, preserving evidence, and resolving shareholder accounts before tax filing.
Read the full guideBusiness structureA balanced comparison of sole proprietorship and incorporation in Alberta, including legal identity, tax reporting, administration, ownership, cash needs, and questions to review with qualified advisers.
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Financial statementsA plain-language guide to CSRS 4200 compilation engagements, management's responsibilities, the accountant's report, and when lenders or other users may ask for compiled financial information.
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Corporate tax complianceHow corporate income-tax instalments work in Canada, why a profitable company can owe interest even when its T2 is filed on time, and how to build a practical payment forecast.
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Corporate tax complianceA practical Canadian guide to late T2 returns, penalties, interest, missing records, repeated late filing, and the safest order for bringing a corporation back into compliance.
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Owner-manager tax planningA decision framework for Canadian owner-managers comparing salary, dividends, payroll, CPP, RRSP room, corporate deductions, cash needs, and documentation.
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Corporate tax riskHow Canada's personal services business rules can affect an incorporated consultant, the employee-versus-contractor facts CRA examines, and what records to review before filing.
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Corporate structuringA practical framework for deciding whether a holding company supports business risk, surplus cash, succession, acquisitions, or a future sale—and when added complexity outweighs the benefit.
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Corporate tax complianceHow a Canadian corporation's fiscal year-end affects T2 deadlines, instalments, bookkeeping workload, inventory, planning, and CRA approval for later changes.
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Corporate reorganizationA business-owner overview of Canada's section 85 rollover election, eligible property, agreed amounts, legal consideration, filing deadlines, valuation, and common implementation risks.
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Owner-manager tax planningHow adjusted aggregate investment income can reduce the federal small-business limit for an associated Canadian corporate group, with practical forecasting and record-keeping steps.
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Owner-manager tax planningA Canadian private-corporation guide to the capital dividend account, common additions and reductions, capital-dividend elections, over-elections, and the records needed before payment.
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