For shops, boutiques and stores with a till. 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 retail stores need different books
Stock bought before it sells, a point of sale with every sale on it, cash and cards and gift cards, sales tax on most of it, and counts that never quite match. A store's real profit depends on knowing what the stock cost.
What a bookkeeper for retail stores in Alberta keeps track of
Daily sales from your point of sale
Stock bought, sold and counted
Sales tax collected
Cash counted against the till
Card fees
Taxes for retail stores in Alberta
Most goods in Alberta take 5% GST.
You charge GST/HST and, where there is one, PST on most goods.
Stock is valued at cost, first in first out or average, the same way every year.
Gift cards carry no GST/HST until they're used.
What SumSwift does for shop owners, for $79 CAD a month
Point of sale reports read and booked day by day
Stock kept item by item with barcode scanning, counts and purchase orders
Till counts with over or short
Sales tax or GST/HST and PST worked out from the real sales
Every statement checked against the balances your bank printed, to the cent, with personal spending kept off your profit
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 retail stores 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 retail stores. SumSwift does the monthly work for $79 CAD a month, the day you upload your statements.
Does SumSwift track inventory?
Yes, item by item, first in first out or average cost, with counts, purchase orders and barcode scanning on your phone.
Can it read my point of sale?
It reads daily reports from Square, Shopify, Clover, Lightspeed, Toast and others.
Does SumSwift know Alberta's tax rules?
Most goods in Alberta take 5% GST. You charge GST/HST and, where there is one, PST on most goods.
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.