Over the last six months, I’ve had the chance to talk to several bookkeepers and firm owners who’ve said the same thing: “I don’t take on clients with payroll.”  Which makes me question why? The reasons are consistent: I do not want to be tied down. It makes it hard to go on vacation. The […]

When economic uncertainty hits — whether it’s a dip in demand, rising costs, or global disruptions — Canadian small businesses often feel it first and hardest. Payroll is usually one of the largest expenses on your balance sheet, and managing it wisely can be the difference between weathering the storm and falling behind. As a […]

Payroll isn’t often seen as a driver for business growth. But, what some business owners don’t realize, is that payroll can be strategically leveraged to maximize earning potential. From providing advisory services to clients to uncovering valuable insights to inform decision making, we dive into the ways payroll can go beyond the numbers to drive […]

Payroll isn’t just another service to tack onto your bookkeeping or accounting offerings — it’s a powerful, revenue-generating opportunity that keeps clients sticky and loyal, when done right. But let’s be honest: keeping up with constantly changing payroll legislation, CRA updates, and client expectations can feel overwhelming. Especially in Canada, where compliance rules are nuanced […]

When running small business payroll, it’s important to understand payroll deductions. Knowing how they’re calculated, and at which point of the payroll process they need to be applied, is essential for remaining compliant, avoiding costly errors, and paying employees accurately. What are payroll deductions? Payroll deductions are the amounts withheld from an employee’s pay cheque […]

As an employer, there are many decisions that you’ll have to make when it comes to hiring and paying your employees. Minimum wage, AKA the lowest hourly pay rate that an employer can pay an employee? That’s not one of them. In Canada, minimum wage by province or territory falls under the domain of the […]

Does overtime get taxed more in Canada? No, it doesn’t. There are no special rules. No hidden rates — in fact, it’s taxed at the same rate as regular pay. So why might you have employees in your office with their pay stub demanding to know why you taxed them so much for putting in overtime? […]

Mistakes happen. However, there are some lessons that are much better taught than experienced. Payroll is one of those. Payroll errors add up, literally. They aren’t just annoying or embarrassing, a wrong keystroke can carry heavy consequences for your business. It could mean wasted hours and resources to fix the problem — or worse, legal […]

Payroll data holds significant power for your small business. Typically, when thinking about payroll, things like T4s, remittance filing, and paying employees come to mind. But payroll data can be used to make valuable decisions for your small business, too. While it might not be immediately obvious how this kind of data can make an […]

In this post, we’ll outline the types of payroll deductions you need to make, along with which kind of remittance schedule you’ll need to follow. As advocates of simple, fast, friendly payroll, we’ll do our best to try to make this as painless as possible.

Did you know that cloud-based accounting practices are nearly twice as likely to experience revenue growth? In fact, a staggering 74% of practices using cloud-based accounting solutions reported an increase in revenue. Technology is more than a convenience, it’s a catalyst for growth. In our recent webinar, “How Technology Fuels the Success of Bookkeeping and […]

Payroll is a tall order for businesses of all sizes, but especially small business owners. The payroll process is complex. It’s filled with time-consuming tasks, lots of legislation and rules, remittances to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) — all on top of running your business.  To help simplify the payroll process, there are a variety […]

Advances in technology have transformed every industry, and payroll is no exception. Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, and automation have revolutionized payroll processing, but one thing remains unchanged — human expertise is irreplaceable.  Adopting payroll automation isn’t just about using new tools; it’s about evolving your role. By embracing technology, bookkeepers and accountants can move […]

Whether you’re bringing on your first hire or your fiftieth, it’s important to know the difference between an employee and a contractor. Why? Because misclassifying workers can lead to payroll headaches, tax troubles, legal issues and compliance issues. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) holds employers responsible for getting this right, so understanding the key differences […]

Sometimes, you just need a straight answer to a payroll question that doesn’t sound like an accounting textbook (no offence, accounting textbooks). So, to empower you with the knowledge and confidence you need to tackle tax season for your small business, we’ve done the digging and teamed up with Wagepoint’s friendly payroll tax experts — […]