For consultants, freelancers and anyone who bills for their time. Your books done the day you upload your statements, checked against your bank, for $79 CAD a month.
Free to join. The first 1,000 in get their catch-up free.
Sales tax
Nova Scotia charges 14% HST on most sales. Once your sales pass $30,000 in four quarters in a row (or in one quarter), you register, charge it and file GST/HST returns.
Income tax
Nova Scotia taxes income at 8.79% to 21% 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 in Halifax (about 440,000 people) keeps track of in 2026. Rates change, so check with your accountant before you file.
Consultants in Halifax, by the numbers
Halifax has 248 consulting firms with employees (Statistics Canada, December 2024).
Every one of them has books to keep: sales to match to the bank, costs to sort and tax to work out.
Why consultants need different books
Invoices out and payments in at their own pace, clients in other provinces, states or countries, software subscriptions everywhere, and a home office. The work is simple; staying on top of who owes you and what to set aside is not.
What a bookkeeper for consultants in Halifax keeps track of
Invoices, payments and who's late
Retainers and what's left of them
Software and subscriptions
Your home office
Tax to set aside
Taxes for consultants in Nova Scotia
Consulting services take GST/HST like most services: 14% HST in Nova Scotia once you're registered, which you must be when sales pass $30,000 in four quarters in a row or in one quarter.
Register for GST/HST once your income passes $30,000 in four quarters in a row; services to clients outside Canada are usually zero-rated.
Once you owe more than $3,000 in tax, CRA asks for instalments.
Part of your home costs can be claimed for a home office.
What SumSwift does for consultants and freelancers, for $79 CAD a month
Invoices made, emailed and chased in SumSwift, with a pay link your customers can use
Retainers applied to invoices as you bill
Subscriptions watched, with price rises and charges you forgot about flagged
What to set aside for tax, with the payments and their due dates
Home office worked out for your taxes
Every statement checked against the balances your bank printed, to the cent, with personal spending kept off your profit
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 consultants cost in Halifax?
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 consultants. SumSwift does the monthly work for $79 CAD a month, the day you upload your statements.
How much should I set aside for taxes?
Often 25% to 35% of profit, depending on where you live and your income. SumSwift works out yours from your real books.
Do I charge sales tax to clients in other places?
It depends on the country and where the client is. In Canada it follows the client's province, and clients outside Canada are usually zero-rated.
Does SumSwift know Nova Scotia's tax rules?
Consulting services take GST/HST like most services: 14% HST in Nova Scotia once you're registered, which you must be when sales pass $30,000 in four quarters in a row or in one quarter. Register for GST/HST once your income passes $30,000 in four quarters in a row; services to clients outside Canada are usually zero-rated.
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.