Plain-English answers for Canadian business owners
Straight answers on paying yourself, CRA deadlines, payroll costs, and keeping your books clean. Written for the owner who'd rather be out doing the work.
3 articles
CRA small-business filing requirements: your first-year checklist (2026)
After you incorporate in Canada, the CRA expects four things: a corporate income tax return (T2) every year, GST/HST registration once sales cross $30,000, payroll remittances if you pay any salary, and year-end slips (T4/T5). Each has its…
Read the answer →How to pay yourself from your corporation in Canada: salary vs. dividends
Once you incorporate, you pay yourself as salary, dividends, or a blend of both. Salary is deductible to your company and builds CPP and RRSP room but…
Read the answer →The real cost of running payroll on Wave, QuickBooks, and Wagepoint in 2026
Payroll software in Canada looks cheap: $20 to $40 a month plus a few dollars per employee. But that hides the real cost: an accounting tool and a…
Read the answer →More from Countet
Countet vs. QuickBooks
One system for books and payroll, versus two products with a reconciliation seam between them.
See the comparison →Countet vs. Wave
A free tier with paywalled bank feeds and a separate payroll product, versus one Canadian system with payroll included.
See the comparison →Countet vs. Xero
Xero has no native Canadian payroll, so you bolt on a second vendor. Here's what that actually costs.
See the comparison →Countet vs. a bookkeeper
When software keeps the books current, what does the monthly bookkeeping fee actually buy?
See the comparison →Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Countet, pricing, security, migrating from other tools, and how the books stay current.
Browse the FAQ →