Bookkeeping Services for Calgary Small Businesses
Good books are what everything else runs on: your GST returns, your year-end, your financing application. Summit Tax & Accounting keeps the books for Calgary small businesses in QuickBooks and Xero, reconciles every account monthly, and hands your year-end over as a finished file rather than a box of receipts.
What's Included
Monthly Bookkeeping and Reconciliation
Every bank account, credit card and loan reconciled each month, so the balance in your software matches the balance at the bank.
Cloud Accounting Setup
QuickBooks Online or Xero set up with a chart of accounts that fits your business, bank feeds connected and receipt capture running.
Financial Statements
A profit and loss statement and balance sheet every month, with a short note on what changed — not just a file drop.
Accounts Payable and Receivable
Bills tracked so nothing goes unpaid, and outstanding invoices flagged before they become bad debts.
GST/HST Tracking and Filing
GST collected and paid tracked as you go, reconciled to your books, and filed on your assigned schedule.
Catch-Up and Cleanup
Behind by six months or three years? We rebuild the records, reconcile them and get you back to a current monthly cycle.
Who We Work With
We keep the books for Calgary trades and construction companies, professional services firms, retail and e-commerce sellers, restaurants and cafes, health and wellness practices, and real estate professionals. Clients range from sole proprietors with a few dozen transactions a month to corporations running payroll for a small team.
Bookkeeping vs Accounting: What's the Difference?
Bookkeeping is the ongoing recording and reconciling of transactions — sales, purchases, payroll, bank and credit card activity. Accounting is what sits on top of it: year-end financial statements, corporate and personal tax returns, and tax planning. A bookkeeper keeps the record accurate month to month; an accountant interprets it and files with the CRA. Most businesses need both, and they bill at different rates, which is why paying accountant rates for data entry is an expensive way to buy bookkeeping.
How We Work With Your Accountant
If another firm handles your year-end, that is fine — we do not require you to move everything. We deliver a reconciled trial balance, bank and credit card reconciliations, and the supporting schedules in the format your accountant asks for, and we answer their year-end questions directly so you are not stuck relaying messages between two sets of professionals.
Bookkeeping Pricing
Ongoing monthly bookkeeping starts at $55 per hour plus GST.
Why Choose Us
Books That Are Actually Tax-Ready
We close each month with year-end in mind, so nothing has to be reopened and re-explained in April.
You Get Statements, Not Just Data Entry
Every month you receive a profit and loss and a balance sheet, with the changes worth noticing pointed out.
Cleanup Is Not a Problem
Years of untouched records do not put us off. It is a large share of the work we take on.
One Firm Through to the Return
Bookkeeping, payroll and the corporate return under one roof means no handoff gaps and no duplicated fees.
How It Works
-
Free consultation
We look at your current records and software and tell you honestly what shape they are in.
-
Onboarding and cleanup
We get access to your accounts, bring the records current, and reconcile everything to the bank.
-
Monthly cycle
Transactions are categorized and reconciled every month and your GST position is kept current.
-
Reporting and year-end
You get monthly statements, and your year-end file is ready to go when the corporate return is due.
Bookkeeping FAQ
How much do bookkeepers charge per hour in Alberta?
Hourly rates in Alberta generally run from roughly $30 to $65 depending on experience and the complexity of the work. Many firms now price monthly instead, based on transaction volume and the number of accounts, which makes the cost predictable rather than open-ended.
Is a bookkeeper cheaper than an accountant?
Yes, per hour. Bookkeeping is recurring transactional work and is priced accordingly, while accountants charge more for year-end statements, tax filings and planning. Using a bookkeeper for monthly work and an accountant for year-end is usually cheaper than having one person do both.
How often will I receive financial reports?
Monthly, once the books for that month are reconciled and closed. A profit and loss statement and balance sheet are standard; cash flow summaries and accounts receivable aging can be added if you use them to make decisions.
Is AI replacing bookkeepers?
Automation has taken over data entry — bank feeds and receipt scanning now categorize most routine transactions. What it does not do is decide how an unusual transaction should be treated, catch a misclassification that will distort your year-end, or take responsibility when the CRA asks a question. The work has shifted toward review and judgment rather than disappearing.
What accounting software do you work with?
Primarily QuickBooks Online and Xero, both of which support bank feeds, receipt capture and multi-user access. If you are already running something else, we will tell you plainly whether it is worth staying on it or moving.
Can you clean up a year of messy books?
Yes, and it is common work for us. We rebuild the records from bank and credit card statements, reconcile every account, correct how transactions were categorized, and then hand back books you can file a return from.
Get Your Books Under Control
Call +1 (825) 734 7435 or book a free consultation. We will look at your records as they are today and tell you what it takes to get them current.