HST and GST Filing in Ottawa
We prepare and file your HST and GST returns on time, every reporting period, with every input tax credit claimed and your numbers ready to stand up to CRA review. Each return is prepared and filed by a CPA.
★★★★★ 5.0 from 80+ Google reviews
Your sales tax return, prepared and filed by a CPA
If your business collects sales tax, the Canada Revenue Agency expects an accurate return filed on schedule and the balance remitted on time. We take that off your plate. We reconcile what you collected against what you can claim back, prepare the return, and file it so you avoid penalties, interest, and the last minute scramble. This is the filing side of your sales tax. For the day to day recording that feeds it, see our ongoing HST and GST tracking service, and explore all our tax services.
What you charge in Ontario
Ontario uses the Harmonized Sales Tax, which combines the federal and provincial portions into a single rate. Here is what applies to most goods and services.
Rates and threshold confirmed on Canada.ca: Charge and collect the GST/HST and When to register for and start charging the GST/HST.
Do you need to register and charge GST/HST?
You generally must register and start charging GST/HST once your worldwide taxable revenues pass $30,000 in a single calendar quarter or over the last four consecutive calendar quarters. Below that, you are a small supplier and registration is optional, though many businesses register voluntarily so they can claim input tax credits on their costs.
Once registered, you charge the right rate based on where your customer is located. In Ontario that is 13% HST. You hold the tax you collect in trust for the CRA and report it on a return for each reporting period. We help you confirm whether you have crossed the threshold, register your business number, and set everything up correctly from day one.
Already registered in Quebec? Quebec sales tax follows its own rules and its own return. We handle QST filing alongside your HST and GST so nothing falls through the cracks.
Our HST and GST filing process
Confirm your reporting period
We check whether you file annually, quarterly, or monthly, and align our work to your assigned reporting period so the return is never late.
Reconcile what you collected
We match the tax you charged to clean, reconciled books, so the figure on your return is accurate and easy to defend.
Claim your input tax credits
We capture the GST/HST you paid on eligible business purchases as input tax credits (ITCs), which reduce what you owe.
File and confirm remittance
A CPA prepares and files the return, and we make sure you know exactly what to remit and by when, so you avoid penalties and interest.
Stop dreading your next filing deadline
Book a free consultation and we will tell you which reporting period you are on, what you can claim, and how we take HST and GST filing off your plate for good.
Book your free consultationAnnual, quarterly, or monthly filing
The CRA assigns a reporting period when you register, based on your annual taxable revenue. The right cadence keeps your cash flow predictable and your filings manageable.
Annual
One return a year. Common for smaller businesses, though instalments may apply through the year.
Quarterly
Four returns a year. A practical middle ground for many growing Ottawa businesses.
Monthly
Twelve returns a year. Often used by larger filers or those wanting frequent refunds.
Rated 5.0 by our clients on Google
Common HST and GST filing mistakes
Most sales tax trouble traces back to a handful of slips. Here is what we watch for so you do not pay for them later.
- Missing the registration point. Crossing the $30,000 threshold without registering means you may owe tax you never collected.
- Charging the wrong rate. The rate follows where your customer is, so a sale into Ontario is 13% HST even if you are based elsewhere.
- Overclaiming input tax credits. Claiming ITCs on personal or ineligible costs is a fast way to draw CRA attention.
- Thin records. ITCs need supporting documents. We help you keep the record keeping the CRA requires.
- Filing on time but remitting late. The return and the payment are two separate deadlines, and interest accrues on late remittances.
- Messy books feeding the return. See the common bookkeeping mistakes that distort sales tax figures.
HST and GST filing FAQs
Let a CPA handle your HST and GST filing
Accurate returns, every credit claimed, filed and remitted on time. Reach out and we will take it from here.
Find us across the Ottawa region
116 Albert St, Suites 200 & 300
Ottawa, ON K1P 5G3
1000 Innovation Dr, Suite 500
Ottawa, ON K2K 3E7
114 Chancery Crescent
Orleans, ON K4A 4N3
867 Notre-Dame St
Embrun, ON K0A 1W0