Free Tax Resources for Canadians

Guides and tools to help you understand your taxes – Guaranteed Jargon-free!

Business Deductions Workbook (Excel)

Collect and organize your business deductions in this easy-to-use worksheet. Contains brief explanations of what each category should contain and adds up totals for each category.

Requires Excel or other application which can work with Excel files such as Google Sheets or Numbers.

For more information on how to use the workbook, download the Guide to Business Deductions, below.

Guide to Business Deductions (PDF)

A step-by-step guide for organizing your business deductions, designed to be used with the Deductions Workbook (above). Explains each of the expense categories in detail and suggests possible deductions. Designed particularly for the needs of people in the arts, but the principles work for practically any business.

GST/HST Basics (PDF)

A brief guide to how the Goods and Services Tax and the Harmonized Sales Tax work. Explains who must register, different options for filing, how to file your GST/HST returns, and the differences between HST and GST.

To Register Or Not To Register: Comparing GST/HST outcomes (Excel)

Use this tool to see an estimate of how much income tax and GST/HST you would remit to the government and — most importantly — how much income you would keep if you register for the GST/HST, register under the Quick Method, or remain unregistered. Enter your estimated business income and expense amounts and see what happens. Requires Excel or a program capable of working with Excel files. (If you don’t have Excel we recommend the free OpenOffice suite of office applications, available at openoffice.org.)

GST/HST Calculator (Excel)

A set of calculators that easily remove the HST or GST from purchase prices. Useful for computing the figures for your GST or HST return. Requires Excel or a program capable of working with Excel files.