Working for yourself
Income, receipts, GST/HST and the everyday decisions that come with working for yourself in Canada.
Working for yourself
34 articles · 1 / 6
Working for yourself 7 min
Self-Employed Taxes in Ottawa: 2026 Guide
A practical guide to HST, vehicle and home-office expenses, instalments, and CCA for Ottawa sole proprietors.
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Working for yourself 3 min
I sold the chairs. Then I counted the invoices.
Camille's busiest month raises a better question than profit: when does a small Ottawa business have to register for HST? Two timelines, one useful sales check.
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Before you clear out the tax folder
The six-year rule has a starting point and exceptions. A compact retention checklist for sole proprietors, including electronic records.
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Working for yourself 2 min
We traded work. The bookkeeping still needed a number.
Malik swaps design work for a repaired studio chair. No money changes hands, but the business records still need both sides of the exchange.
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Your bank balance and your profit answer different questions
A $3,200 bank balance can sit beside $4,000 of profit without either number being wrong. Follow the invoices, payments and owner withdrawal.
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Working for yourself 2 min
The receipt went through the washing machine
Camille finds a pale rectangle in her coat pocket and rebuilds the purchase record without inventing a replacement receipt.
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