Bookkeeping services for Burnaby small businesses
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Burnaby is the most goods-heavy part of Metro Vancouver, and the books show it: inventory, PST on goods and imports come up every month.
Short answer: we keep the books for Burnaby small businesses, from distributors and retailers near Metrotown to contractors and online stores: monthly bookkeeping with inventory, GST and PST, payroll, and T1 and T2 returns, at a fixed monthly fee. The work is done online from West Vancouver, in English or Mandarin, and the quote arrives in writing within one business day.
What we do for Burnaby businesses
- Monthly bookkeeping with inventory and cost of goods sold
- GST and PST, including PST on goods and self-assessment on imports
- Import costs, duties and the GST paid at the border
- Payroll, T4s and ROEs, and WorkSafeBC reporting
- Shopify, Stripe and marketplace payouts reconciled for online sellers
- T1 and T2 returns from the books we kept
What is different about the books in Burnaby
Burnaby holds much of the region’s light industrial and distribution space, along with the retail around Metrotown. A business that sells goods has PST obligations a service business does not, and there is no CAD 30,000 to grow into first: the PST small-seller exemption needs a low sales figure and no established premises. Stock bought for resale is exempt only when you are registered, which is why staying out of the system usually costs a goods business more than registering.
Your Burnaby business licence
The City of Burnaby requires a valid business licence for every business in the city, whether commercial, home-based or a residential rental, short-term rentals included. You can apply online through a My Property account, and a business cannot open until the City issues the licence. Home-based businesses are allowed at approved residential locations except mobile home parks; only people who live at the address can be employed, nothing can be stored outside, and on-site sales and client services are limited to one customer at a time. Burnaby is part of the Metro West inter-municipal licence for trades.
Questions Burnaby owners ask
Do I need PST registration to sell goods in Burnaby?
Usually, yes. Selling taxable goods in BC needs PST registration unless you qualify as a small seller, with low sales and no established premises. Registering also lets you buy stock for resale without paying PST.
Does my Burnaby rental or short-term rental need a business licence?
Yes. Burnaby licenses residential rentals, short-term rentals included, as well as commercial and home-based businesses.
Can you keep the books for an import business?
Yes. Imports carry GST at the border, which a registrant can claim back, and often PST to self-assess. Both have to be tracked against each shipment.
Do you work in Mandarin?
Yes. Quotes, reports and conversations can all be in English or Mandarin.
PST when your business sells goods →
Importing goods: GST and PST →
Inventory and cost of goods sold →
Bookkeeping for importers and distributors →
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