Pocket Ledger · Journal
Guides for Ontario owners
The journal.
Plain-English guides to the parts of bookkeeping every Ontario owner runs into — HST, receipts, whether you even need a bookkeeper. No jargon, no upsell.
All guides
- →How to do bookkeeping for a small business (Canada)
The actual monthly bookkeeping routine for a Canadian small business, step by step — plus the honest signs it’s time to stop doing it yourself. - →Small business taxes in Ontario: what you actually owe
A plain-English map of the taxes an Ontario small business deals with — HST, income tax, payroll deductions and instalments — plus a rough calendar. - →Receipt scanner apps for Canadian businesses: what to look for
What matters in a receipt scanner app for a Canadian business — CRA rules, HST capture, where the receipt ends up, and how our capture works. - →Accounting software for small business in Canada: an honest guide
An honest look at QuickBooks, Wave, Xero and FreshBooks for Canadian businesses — how to choose, and the option the roundups leave out. - →How much does a bookkeeper cost in Ontario?
What a bookkeeper actually costs in Ontario — hourly, monthly and firm rates, what drives the price, and a fixed-price alternative that undercuts them. - →Catch-up bookkeeping: getting behind books back on track
What catch-up bookkeeping is, why businesses fall behind, how to get months or years of books current, and how to stop it happening again. - →Do I need a bookkeeper?
The signs you’ve outgrown doing it yourself, the alternatives (software, a bookkeeper, a done-for-you service), and how to choose. - →How to keep track of receipts for taxes (Canada)
What the CRA requires for receipts, whether photos count, how long to keep them, and a system that stops the shoebox before tax time. - →Bookkeeper vs accountant: what’s the difference?
What a bookkeeper does versus an accountant, when you need which, what each costs, and whether one person can do both for a small business. - →How to get an HST number in Canada
What an HST/GST number is, when your business needs one, how to register with the CRA, and what changes once you’re registered. - →How to file HST in Ontario: a small business owner’s guide
When to register for HST in Ontario, how filing periods work, how to file through CRA My Business Account, and the input tax credits that lower what you owe.