Bookkeeping services for Abbotsford small businesses
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A border crossing, an airport, Highway 1 and the Fraser Valley’s farmland, and the bookkeeping that comes with each, done online.
Short answer: we keep the books for Abbotsford small businesses: monthly bookkeeping, GST and PST, payroll with T4s and ROEs, and T1 and T2 returns, for a fixed monthly fee. The work is done online from West Vancouver, so there is no travel charge, and the quote arrives in writing within one business day.
What we do for Abbotsford businesses
- Monthly bookkeeping, with vehicle, job and inventory costs where they matter
- Sales to US customers recorded as zero-rated exports, with the proof of export kept
- Imports, the GST paid at the border and PST self-assessment
- Payroll for year-round and seasonal staff, T4s and ROEs, and WorkSafeBC reporting
- T1 and T2 returns from the books we kept
What is different about the books here
Abbotsford sits on the Sumas border crossing and Highway 1, with an airport and an aerospace cluster, food processing and a large farming base around it. Goods shipped to customers in the United States are generally zero-rated exports: no GST is charged, the business still claims input tax credits on its costs, and the books need the proof of export behind each sale. Trucking and logistics bring fuel, vehicle costs and the employee or contractor question for drivers. Harvest work brings seasonal payroll: staff who start and stop within the year, each with a record of employment when they leave.
Your Abbotsford business licence
Any activity that provides a service for gain or profit in Abbotsford needs a business licence, and a business cannot open until the City issues it; allow two to three weeks. A licence is valid for 12 months from the date it is issued. According to the City’s home occupation information sheet, home-based businesses fall into three levels set by your zoning: Level 1 must sit wholly inside the home with no customer visits and no signs, Level 2 allows up to 50 square metres and one non-resident employee, and Level 3 up to 112 square metres and two. Check the zoning with Planning and Development Services first. Personal care businesses need Fraser Health approval before the licence is issued. Abbotsford belongs to the Fraser Valley inter-municipal licence for mobile trades.
Questions Abbotsford owners ask
Do I charge GST on goods I sell to US customers?
Generally no. Goods exported to customers outside Canada are zero-rated, so no GST is charged, and you can still claim input tax credits on what you bought to make the sale. Keep the shipping and export documents as proof of export.
Which home occupation level applies to my business?
Your zoning decides it. Level 1 allows no customer visits; Levels 2 and 3 allow more floor area and one or two non-resident employees. The City’s Planning and Development Services can confirm your level.
Do my seasonal workers need T4s and ROEs?
Yes. Seasonal employees are employees: source deductions are withheld and remitted, each gets a T4, and a record of employment is issued when the work ends.
Does it cost more because Abbotsford is further out?
No. The price is set by transaction volume and what needs filing. The work is online, so there is no travel charge.
What running payroll in BC involves →
Importing goods: GST and PST →
Get a written quote
Tell us where you are, roughly how many transactions a month and what you need filed. A written scope and a fixed monthly price follow within one business day.
info@orbisaccounting.ca