What Canadian freelancers need from accounting software
As a self-employed professional in Canada, your accounting is simpler than a corporation's — but it still has specific requirements. You need to invoice clients professionally, track business expenses for deductions, calculate and remit GST or HST once you cross the $30,000 threshold, and produce a summary of income for your T1 return each spring.
The mistake many Canadian freelancers make is paying for enterprise accounting software loaded with features they'll never use — payroll, inventory, multi-location management. You don't need any of that. You need clean invoicing, expense tracking, and tax support.
GST/HST for Canadian freelancers
Once your freelance income exceeds $30,000 in any four consecutive quarters, you must register for a GST/HST number and collect tax on your services. MapleBooks lets you configure your applicable tax rate — 5% GST federally, or the relevant HST rate for your province — and applies it automatically to every invoice you create.
At the end of each reporting period (quarterly for most freelancers), MapleBooks generates a tax summary showing your collected tax and input tax credits, so remitting to the CRA is straightforward.
Why MapleBooks suits Canadian freelancers
Invoice clients in seconds
Create professional invoices with your business name and logo. Track payment status at a glance.
Automatic GST/HST
Set your rate once. MapleBooks applies it to every invoice and produces a remittance summary.
Expense deductions, organised
Categorise every expense as you go. No scrambling through bank statements at tax time.
No monthly fee
One-time purchase — ideal for freelancers whose income isn't fixed month to month.
Freelancer-friendly features
- Professional invoicing. Create and send branded invoices in minutes. Track which are paid, outstanding, or overdue.
- Expense tracking. Record every business expense by category. At tax time, your deductions are already organised.
- Client management. Keep a record of all your clients with contact details and payment history.
- Financial reports. Profit & Loss and income summaries for your accountant or T1 filing.
- Multi-currency. Invoice Canadian and international clients in their currency. MapleBooks handles exchange rate tracking.
Pricing built for self-employed budgets
Monthly subscriptions add up fast when your income varies. MapleBooks costs a one-time fee — you pay once and own the software indefinitely.