File sales tax

Filing sales tax is a three part process. First prepare your sales tax return in QuickBooks. Second, submit your return to the CRA. Finally, close your filing period in QuickBooks.

Step 1 - Prepare your return

  1. In the navigation bar, click Sales Tax. If Payroll is enabled, click Taxes > Sales Tax.
  2. Click Prepare return.
  3. Check the dates that QuickBooks shows in the From Date and To Date fields. More... ClosedQuickBooks automatically adds the dates of your most recent sales tax period, based on the payment schedule for the CRA. If necessary, you can change them, but remember that your payment schedule is set by the CRA. You cannot change the dates just for your own requirements.
  4. Review the detail section. It shows all the lines in the sales tax return, with the balance owing (or refund due) at the bottom.

    To see individual transactions, hover over the number in the Amount column and then click View transactions.

  5. To make an adjustment to a line on the sales tax return, click Adjust.

    How to adjust your tax liability

Step 2 - Submit your sales tax return online

Before you can submit your GST/HST return online to the CRA, you must have your four-digit access code. Where is this code?Closed The access code is printed on the electronic filing information sheet (Form GST34-3) or the personalized return (Form GST34-2) that you received in the mail. If you are submitting your GST/QST return to Revenu Québec, you also need the clicSÉQUR or clicSÉQUR express access code that you received in the mail.

If you are filing your GST/HST return with the CRA:

  1. In a different window, go to the CRA website listed on the form you received with your four-digit access code.
  2. Enter your User ID and password.
  3. Select Submit a return.
  4. Choose the period that you want to file.
  5. Copy the amounts from your QuickBooks return and paste them into your sales tax return in the CRA window.
  6. After you fill in the online return, close the CRA window and go back to QuickBooks.

If you are filing your GST/HST and QST returns with Revenu Québec, instead go to to the Revenu Québec Web site (www.revenuquebec.ca) and use the clicSÉQUR service.

Step 3 - Close your sales tax period in QuickBooks

This step closes your books in QuickBooks for this filing period. When completed, you cannot add or edit transactions in this period.

  1. On the Prepare Sales Tax page, click File Return.

    QuickBooks creates a bill for the amount owing to the CRA. (The bill is created as a payable in your chart of accounts, so it won't appear in the Enter Bills window.)

  2. (Optional) Print a copy of the QuickBooks sales tax return for your own records.