FreshBooks vs QuickBooks Online: the Canadian view
Both are good. They're built for different businesses. Here's how to tell which one is yours, with Canadian prices checked Nov 2, 2026.
Heads-upRun by the same person behind Trim & Tally, a bookkeeping service; we may earn commissions from some links. Commissions never decide what we recommend. How we make money.
General information, not tax advice. The CRA pages linked below are the authority. Check them or ask your accountant about your situation.
Do you have to register?
You're a small supplier, and don't have to register, as long as your taxable sales (with associated businesses) stay at $30,000 or less over the last four calendar quarters and in any single calendar quarter.
- Over $30,000 in a single quarter: you stop being a small supplier with the sale that takes you over. You must charge GST on that sale and register within 29 days.
- Over $30,000 across four quarters (but not in one quarter): you stay a small supplier until the end of the following month, then must register.
You can register voluntarily below $30,000, which lets you claim input tax credits (ITCs) on GST you pay. Many trades and oilfield businesses do, because their business customers expect a GST number anyway.
The rate
In Alberta it's 5% GST with no provincial sales tax. When you bill for work done or goods delivered in an HST province, the HST rate of that province generally applies (for example 13% in Ontario, 14% in Nova Scotia, 15% in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and PEI). The "place of supply" rules decide which rate. Check the CRA calculator and rules before invoicing out-of-province work.
What your invoice should show
Your customers can only claim ITCs if your invoice has the right details. The CRA's requirements step up with the total:
| Invoice total | Must show |
|---|---|
| Under $100 | Your business name, the invoice date, the total amount |
| $100 to $499.99 | All of the above plus your GST/HST registration number, and the GST charged (or that the total includes GST) |
| $500 or more | All of the above plus the customer's name, a description of what was supplied, and payment terms |
Every mainstream invoicing app (FreshBooks, QuickBooks, Wave, Xero, Jobber) can print your GST number on invoices. Turn it on once and it's done.
Construction: T5018
If more than 50% of your business income is from construction activities and you pay subcontractors for construction services, you generally have to report payments to each subcontractor you paid more than $500 in the period on a T5018 slip. Payments for goods only are excluded. Ask your accountant whether your oilfield or renovation work counts as construction.
Keep the records
GST records, like other business records, generally have to be kept six years from the end of the year they relate to. See receipt scanning apps for doing that without boxes of paper.
Sources (checked Nov 2, 2026)
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