Questions, answered
Straight answers about pricing, getting started, and how bookkeeping, payroll, sales tax, and year-end work with Tallyforth.
Getting started
How does getting started work?
Answer a few questions in the quote calculator to see your monthly, one-time, and year-end pricing. Send your quote to our team, and we'll confirm the details after reviewing your books and records. From there we set up your file — or catch up the backlog — and monthly bookkeeping begins.
Do we need to meet in person?
No. We work remotely: records come in digitally, reports go out the same way, and questions are handled by email.
What software do you work with?
QuickBooks Online and Xero have no migration fee. We also move businesses off spreadsheets, desktop software like Sage or QuickBooks Desktop, and paper records, with a one-time setup charge shown in your quote.
Do you work with businesses across BC?
Yes. Tallyforth works with small businesses throughout British Columbia, including Richmond, Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, and Squamish.
Is Tallyforth a CPA firm?
No. Tallyforth is a bookkeeping firm. Corporate tax returns and any compilation, review, or audit work are prepared and filed by independently licensed CPAs we contract with.
Pricing
Is there a minimum commitment?
Monthly retainers have a three-month minimum commitment.
Is sales tax filing included in the monthly fee?
Yes — GST and PST filing support is part of monthly bookkeeping.
How is payroll priced?
$75/month plus $5 for each person you pay, including owners on payroll, added to your monthly bookkeeping retainer. A team of eight is $115/month.
How much does a catch-up cost?
Your monthly fee — retainer plus payroll, if you have it — for each month behind. Three months behind on a $550 retainer is $1,650. The quote calculator shows your exact number.
What does a rush premium cost?
Year-end starts at $1,200. If your fiscal year end is less than 60 days away when you sign up, it's 1.5× ($1,800); within 30 days, 2× ($2,400).
Is the price from the quote calculator final?
The calculator gives an estimate based on your answers. Final pricing is confirmed after we review your actual books and records.
Monthly bookkeeping
What counts as a transaction?
Each deposit, payment, transfer, or card charge that appears on a bank or credit card statement. If you're not sure, pick the closest range in the quote calculator — we confirm the number after reviewing a few months of statements.
Do I have to switch bookkeeping software?
If you're on QuickBooks Online or Xero, there's no migration fee. Moving from spreadsheets, desktop software, or paper records carries a one-time setup charge, shown in your quote.
What reports will I get each month?
A balance sheet and an income statement, built from reconciled accounts. Because receivables and payables are kept current, you'll also be able to see who owes you and what's coming due.
How do I send receipts and documents?
Digitally. Receipt apps like Hubdoc or Dext work well, but email folders and scanned paper work too — the quote calculator adds a one-time setup charge if you need help getting a receipt system in place.
Payroll
Do you pay my employees directly?
No. Pay runs are prepared through your payroll tool and funds move from your business account. We handle the calculations, records, and filings around it.
Can you handle contractors as well as employees?
Yes. Contractor payments are tracked separately, with T4A slips prepared where they're required. If a worker's status is unclear we'll flag it — employee vs. contractor classification has real CRA consequences.
Which payroll software do you use?
Whichever you already run. Pay runs are prepared in your payroll software and posted to your books, so nothing about how your employees get paid has to change.
GST & PST
What happens if I've missed GST or PST returns?
Late filing generally means penalties and interest on any balance owing, and CRA can assess an amount itself if returns aren't filed at all. Missed returns are handled as a one-time catch-up project before monthly filing begins.
How often do I file GST returns?
CRA assigns a reporting period based on your revenue: annual, quarterly, or monthly. Smaller businesses are usually annual filers by default, but you can choose to file more often — for example, to receive refunds sooner.
Do I charge PST on services?
Only some services are subject to BC PST — for example, legal services, telecommunication services, and services to taxable goods such as repairs. Most bookkeeping and consulting services are not. The BC Ministry of Finance publishes bulletins that set out the rules by industry.
Year-end & corporate tax
Do I need year-end financial statements?
Every corporation reports its balance sheet and income statement to CRA as part of the T2, in CRA's GIFI format. Whether you also need formal financial statements depends on who's asking — lenders, landlords, and investors often do.
My fiscal year end is next month. Is it too late?
No, but expect the rush premium, and send records early. The T2 isn't due until six months after year end, but any tax owing is due sooner.
What's the difference between a T2 and financial statements?
The T2 is the corporate income tax return filed with CRA. Financial statements are a formal presentation of your balance sheet and income statement, often requested by lenders, landlords, or investors. Your T2 includes your financial information in GIFI format either way.
Catching up
I only have bank statements — no receipts. Can you still help?
Yes. Bank and card statements are the backbone of a catch-up. Missing receipts can limit what's deductible, so we'll flag where records matter most.
Do I need to catch up before starting monthly bookkeeping?
Yes. Monthly bookkeeping starts from a reconciled opening balance — the catch-up gets you there, and the monthly retainer keeps you there.
How far back can you go?
As far as your records do. The quote calculator prices backlogs up to 24 months; longer ones are priced at 24 months as a minimum and confirmed once we've reviewed the records.
Privacy
Where is the information I send stored?
Quote submissions are stored in Google Sheets and delivered to our team through Gmail, on Google's servers, which may be outside Canada. Our privacy notice explains what we collect, why, and how to reach us.
Real numbers, not "we'll get back to you."
Answer a few questions and see your monthly, one-time, and year-end pricing on the spot.
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