How do you set up QuickBooks Online for a Québec business?

Get the company basics right first

Before you enter a single transaction, check the settings that are painful to change later: the legal name and operating name, your business number, the first month of your fiscal year and the province. If you want to work in French, choose the language at the very start, before you build your accounts. Changing it later can leave you checking and renaming account names by hand.

Our team holds the QuickBooks ProAdvisor (Advanced) certification, and these early settings are where we see the most rework.

How do GST and QST work in QuickBooks Online?

In Québec, Revenu Québec administers both the GST and the QST, so most businesses file one combined return with Revenu Québec, not with the CRA. Intuit's Canadian help says a business located in Québec has only one tax agency card, named Revenu Québec, for its GST and QST.

Sales tax settings live under All apps > Sales Tax > Overview > Manage sales tax, then Edit agency settings next to the agency. There you set the start of your reporting period, your filing frequency and your registration numbers. Intuit changes its menus often, so if a label has moved, search its Canadian help for the current path.

The common codes for Québec are:

• GST/QST QC (14.975%) for most taxable sales and purchases.
• GST (5%) when only the federal tax applies.
• QST QC (9.975%) when only the Québec tax applies.
• Z (zero-rated) for taxable items at 0%.
• E (exempt) for exempt supplies.
• Out of scope for amounts outside the tax system, like owner contributions.

Example: you invoice $1,000 of taxable services with GST/QST QC. QuickBooks adds $50 of GST and $99.75 of QST, for $1,149.75. The $149.75 is not your income. It sits in a tax balance until you file. For meals and entertainment, Intuit explains how to build a group rate that separates the tax you can claim back from the part you can't. More on the logic in our article on recording GST and QST.

How should the chart of accounts look?

Start lean. A short list you use consistently beats 80 accounts nobody understands.

• One bank account per real account, and one per credit card.
• Income accounts that match how you sell (for example, services and products).
• Expense accounts close to your tax return lines: rent, phone, software, vehicle, professional fees, advertising.
• Owner accounts: drawings for a sole proprietor, or a shareholder loan account for a corporation.
• Loans and assets like equipment, kept apart from expenses.

Connecting bank feeds

Go to All apps > Accounting > Bank transactions, select Connect account, find your bank and sign in. New transactions land in the For review tab, where you categorize them or match them to invoices and bills you already entered. Connect business accounts only, and reconcile each month against the statement (see how in our bank reconciliation guide).

Capturing receipts

On the web, go to All apps > Accounting > Receipts and upload files, one receipt per file (PDF, JPG, PNG or GIF). In the mobile app, use Receipt snap to photograph a receipt on the spot. QuickBooks reads the receipt and suggests a transaction that you review, then add or match. Check that the GST and QST amounts it reads match the receipt.

Filing your GST/QST return

In All apps > Sales Tax > Overview, open the Filings tab and select Prepare return. Review the amounts, then file on Revenu Québec's site and come back to select Mark as filed. QuickBooks doesn't send the return or the payment for you; you pay Revenu Québec separately and then record it in QuickBooks (Filings tab, Filed returns, Record payment).

Want us to set it up for you?

Book a free 30-minute session at soleraaccounting.ca/rendez-vous or call 450 612-7223. We can set up or clean up your QuickBooks Online file for Québec taxes and show you how to keep it current. Service in French, English and Arabic.

This article is general information, not personalized accounting or tax advice.

Frequently asked questions

Does QuickBooks Online file my GST/QST return with Revenu Québec?

No. QuickBooks prepares the return and tracks the balance, but you file and pay through Revenu Québec yourself, then mark the return as filed and record the payment in QuickBooks.

Which tax code do I use for most Québec purchases?

GST/QST QC (14.975%) for most taxable purchases from Québec suppliers. Use GST alone, Z, E or Out of scope only when the receipt or the type of transaction calls for it.

Can I use QuickBooks Online in French?

Yes. Choose French at the start if you can, before you build your chart of accounts, so you don't have to check and rename accounts later.

Sources

• Intuit QuickBooks Canada – Set up where you collect sales tax in QuickBooks Online
• Intuit QuickBooks Canada – Common sales tax codes
• Intuit QuickBooks Canada – Set up a sales tax rate for meals and entertainment
• Intuit QuickBooks Canada – File sales tax in QuickBooks Online
• Intuit QuickBooks Canada – Connect bank accounts and manage imported transactions
• Intuit QuickBooks Canada – Upload your receipts and bills
• Revenu Québec – Étape 4, percevoir et déclarer la TPS et la TVQ

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