For plumbers, electricians, roofers, renovators and every trade that runs from a truck. Your books done the day you upload your statements, for $79 CAD a month.
Free to join. The first 1,000 in get their catch-up free.
Sales tax
Alberta charges only the 5% GST, with no provincial sales tax. You register once your sales pass $30,000 in four quarters in a row (or in one quarter).
Income tax
Alberta taxes income at 8% to 15% in 2026, on top of federal tax of 14% to 33%, on the profit from your business.
CPP
Working for yourself, you pay both halves of CPP: 11.9% of your earnings from $3,500 to $74,600 in 2026, plus 8% more up to $85,000.
Deadlines
Sole proprietors file by June 15 and pay by April 30. Once you owe more than $3,000, CRA asks for instalments on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15.
Contractors
Paid someone more than $500 for services in a year? They may need a T4A slip by the end of February.
What every business here keeps track of in 2026. Rates change, so check with your accountant before you file.
Why contractors need different books
Supply-house runs on the business card, subcontractors paid by e-transfer or cheque, deposits that come in before the job starts, a truck that's partly business and receipts that live in the cup holder. That's what makes a contractor's books messy, and it's what a good bookkeeper spends most of the month on.
What a bookkeeper for contractors in Alberta keeps track of
Materials as the cost of each job, so you see what's left after them
Subcontractors paid, for slips at year end
Customer deposits and progress bills
Holdbacks customers keep back until the job is done
Your truck, tools and equipment
Sales tax or GST/HST on what you bill
Taxes for contractors in Alberta
In Alberta you charge 5% GST on your invoices once registered (at $30,000 in sales over four quarters in a row).
If most of your income is construction, you report subcontractors you pay $500 or more on T5018 slips, by six months after your year end.
GST/HST goes on your invoices for labour and materials once you're registered.
Holdbacks are usually 10% under provincial construction laws, released after the job is finished.
What SumSwift does for contractors and trades, for $79 CAD a month
Materials sorted as the cost of the job, with job costing to see what each job made
Subcontractor lists for 1099s or T4A and T5018 slips, with who you still need a W-9 or business number from
Progress bills and holdbacks tracked until they're released
Cheques written and printed in SumSwift, and "CHEQUE 104" on a statement asked about once
Big purchases get one question, "Is this equipment?", so they're written off over the right years
A mileage log (a CRA logbook in Canada) and the business share of your vehicle worked out for taxes
Receipts snapped with your phone or forwarded by email are read and matched to the charge
Up to 3 accounts included. Prices in CAD. Your accountant still files your tax return, with clean books and free access.
Questions.
How much does a bookkeeper for contractors cost in Alberta?
Published price guides put most small businesses at $300 to $1,500 a month for a bookkeeper, more when the books are busy, as they often are for contractors. SumSwift does the monthly work for $79 CAD a month, the day you upload your statements.
What does a bookkeeper for contractors do?
Sorts materials, subcontractors and truck costs, matches every account to the bank, keeps receipts, tracks deposits and holdbacks, and gets subcontractor slips and sales tax or GST/HST ready.
Do I need to track materials by job?
It's the only way to know which jobs make money. SumSwift tags costs to jobs and shows profit per job.
Does SumSwift know Alberta's tax rules?
In Alberta you charge 5% GST on your invoices once registered (at $30,000 in sales over four quarters in a row). If most of your income is construction, you report subcontractors you pay $500 or more on T5018 slips, by six months after your year end.
Behind on my books. Can you catch me up?
Yes. A catch-up of up to 12 months is $599, once, checked against your bank to the cent.