Steadfast Bookkeeping and Consulting Inc

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Steadfast Bookkeeping and Consulting Inc Helping business owners build their dreams, one number at a time.

For one Calgary contractor, the books had fallen two years behind. They were busy keeping jobs moving, invoicing from me...
10/17/2026

For one Calgary contractor, the books had fallen two years behind. They were busy keeping jobs moving, invoicing from memory, and collecting receipts in the truck. Paperwork got tackled once a year, usually against the wire, and opening the accounting software started to feel like a task best avoided.

What changed wasn’t a lecture. It was a plan. We worked through the backlog in a sensible order, kept the current months up to date so it stopped growing, set up a simple receipt habit, and put a monthly check-in on the calendar.

Afterward, they could answer questions about their own business without digging through piles. They knew what they owed and what was owed to them. Year end felt like a process, not a crisis.

The relief came from one decision and a few small habits, not from becoming an accountant. If your books have fallen behind, a steady first step can make a difference. We’re happy to talk through a plan that fits your business.

“If my books are a mess, a bookkeeper won’t want to take me on.”Myth.• We’ve seen it all, from a full year unopened to r...
10/16/2026

“If my books are a mess, a bookkeeper won’t want to take me on.”

Myth.

• We’ve seen it all, from a full year unopened to receipts in a bag. (The bag is more common than you might think.)
• Catch-up work is usually about scope and time, not a judgment of you or your business.
• The first step isn’t fixing everything. It’s getting a clear picture of what needs attention.
• Then we work through it in a sensible order, starting with urgent filings and deadlines.

Books being behind usually means the business has been busy, not that you’ve been careless.
Many people tell us they feel relief once there’s a clear plan.

If you’d like to talk, send us a message. Nobody will judge you for how far behind things are.

Just incorporated? There’s a calendar attached to your corporation, and it helps to know what’s on it from day one.Your ...
10/15/2026

Just incorporated? There’s a calendar attached to your corporation, and it helps to know what’s on it from day one.

Your fiscal year end is the date your corporation’s financial year closes. It can generally be chosen, but changing it later isn’t something to do casually, so talk it through with your bookkeeper and accountant.

After year end, your books are closed and financial statements are prepared. Your corporation also files a corporate tax return: its annual income tax filing, due within the time CRA allows.

Depending on the corporation’s circumstances, it may need to pay tax instalments. Regular payments toward its expected tax bill. GST/HST reporting periods and payroll remittances have their own schedules, too.

Practical first steps: add all the relevant dates to a calendar when you incorporate, keep business banking separate from personal spending, and ask about your year end well before it arrives.

The first year comes with plenty of new vocabulary. By the second, the routine usually feels much more familiar. We can help you get the bookkeeping dates organized and set up a calendar that works for your business.

CRA letter explainer, part 2: the GST/HST Notice of AssessmentThis is one of the most common GST/HST letters, and its of...
10/14/2026

CRA letter explainer, part 2: the GST/HST Notice of Assessment

This is one of the most common GST/HST letters, and its official-sounding wording can feel unsettling. In most cases, it’s simply the CRA’s summary of how it processed your filed return.

It shows the reporting period, the sales and tax figures the CRA accepted, and the input tax credits allowed. Input tax credits are the GST/HST you paid on eligible business expenses that you can claim back. The notice also shows whether you have a balance to pay or a refund coming.

When you open one, take a few minutes to check:
• Does the period match the return you filed?
• Do the figures match what you reported?
• Is there a balance owing or a refund, and, if you owe, what’s the payment due date?

A Notice of Assessment isn’t the same as an audit. Most simply confirm the return. If something doesn’t look right, gather your filed return and the records behind it, note the notice’s reference number, and ask for help before assuming you made a mistake.

Once you know what to look for, it usually takes about five minutes to read. Have a notice you’re unsure about? Send us a message: we’re happy to help you make sense of it.

Year-end requests are usually predictable. Knowing the list a few weeks ahead can make the hand-off much calmer.Your acc...
10/13/2026

Year-end requests are usually predictable. Knowing the list a few weeks ahead can make the hand-off much calmer.

Your accountant may ask for last year’s financial statements and tax return; this year’s business bank and credit card statements; payroll records and T4 slips for employees or T5 slips for applicable investment or dividend income; sales tax filings; records of equipment or other major assets bought or sold; loan and lease documents; and an inventory count, if your business tracks inventory.

They may also have a few questions about anything unusual. Those answers need your input, so it helps to send the questions early.

A few practical steps:
• Keep a running folder of statements and documents through the year.
• Ask your accountant for their year-end list in advance.
• Set aside time to answer questions before the deadline rush.

Well-organised records usually mean less back-and-forth and less time spent sorting paperwork, which can help keep the accounting bill down. And if your first year felt like a fire drill, that’s common. It often gets easier once you know the routine.

If year-end consistently feels like a scramble, we’re happy to talk about making the bookkeeping-to-accountant hand-off smoother.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to Calgary’s small business owners, and to the teams, customers, suppliers, and families who...
10/12/2026

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to Calgary’s small business owners, and to the teams, customers, suppliers, and families who help keep local businesses going.

We know not everyone gets a full day off. Some of you are working today; others may find your mind drifting back to tomorrow’s list. It comes with running a small business.

October is also a natural moment to pause and take stock before the final quarter. We hope you find a little time to enjoy the day.

We’re around to talk numbers after the holiday, if it would help.

A quick CRA deadline heads-up for October:October 15: Monthly source deduction remittances are due. This is the income t...
10/11/2026

A quick CRA deadline heads-up for October:

October 15: Monthly source deduction remittances are due. This is the income tax, Canada Pension Plan (CPP), and Employment Insurance (EI) withheld from September payroll.

October 31: GST/HST returns and payments are due for:
• Quarterly filers whose quarter ended September 30
• Monthly filers reporting on September

Now is a good time to check that September payroll numbers and sales tax are reconciled. A little attention now can turn filing into a 20-minute task instead of an afternoon project.

Missed remittance dates are common and usually fixable. Getting ahead of them is simply cheaper and calmer than untangling things later.

Steadfast clients receive reminders, so they do not have to track every CRA date themselves. Not sure which filing cycle you’re on? Send us a message: we’re happy to help clarify.

Bookkeeping does not need to take over your Saturday.Try one 10–15 minute habit this month, not the whole list at once:•...
10/10/2026

Bookkeeping does not need to take over your Saturday.

Try one 10–15 minute habit this month, not the whole list at once:

• Photograph and file receipts as they happen. Payoff: no shoebox archaeology later.

• Keep business spending on a separate account or card. Payoff: less untangling when it is time to review your numbers.

• Check that invoices you sent have been paid, then follow up on the late ones. Payoff: fewer surprises in your cash flow.

• Compare your bank and credit card statements with your records each month. Payoff: mistakes are easier to spot while the details are still fresh.

• Check your tax set-aside before spending the month’s profit. Payoff: more confidence about what is actually available to use.

• Take 15 minutes at month-end to look at cash in, cash out, and what is due next. Payoff: a clearer view of the month ahead.

Choose the habit that fits how you already work. Small and consistent beats ambitious and abandoned: bookkeeping has enough drama without adding a spreadsheet marathon.

Want help setting up a simple routine that works for your business? Steadfast Bookkeeping can help you build one that fits.

Before you hire a bookkeeper, ask less about the software they use, and more about how they work.A good working relation...
10/09/2026

Before you hire a bookkeeper, ask less about the software they use, and more about how they work.

A good working relationship should give you clarity, consistency, and someone who understands how your business actually operates.

Here are a few practical questions to ask:

• What exactly will I receive each month?
• How often will my accounts be reconciled. That is, checked against the bank records?
• Who will be my day-to-day contact?
• How do you handle questions during tax season?
• What happens if you find something that looks incorrect?
• How will my records be handed over if we ever stop working together?

Look for green flags: they ask thoughtful questions about your business, explain things in plain language, and tell you when something needs your attention.

It’s also reasonable to notice when monthly deliverables are unclear, questions go unanswered, or reports arrive without any explanation. That doesn’t mean anyone has failed. It may simply mean the working arrangement needs a clearer conversation.

Asking questions is normal. Switching providers is normal too. Your books should support your business, not leave you guessing.

Want to know how Steadfast Bookkeeping answers these questions? Send us a message: we’re happy to have a practical conversation.

A profitable month can still feel tight.That’s where the cash flow statement helps. Part 3 of 3 in our mini-series on re...
10/08/2026

A profitable month can still feel tight.

That’s where the cash flow statement helps. Part 3 of 3 in our mini-series on reading financial reports.

It tracks the money that actually moved in and out of your bank account over a period, grouped into three areas:

Operating: money from day-to-day trading.
Investing: money spent on equipment or other larger purchases.
Financing: loans, repayments, and owner draws.

The important bit: profit and cash are not the same thing. You can have a profitable month and still feel short on cash if money is tied up in receivables, inventory, or repayments. And a month with cash in the bank isn’t automatically a profitable month. Perhaps a loan came in or owner funds were added.

That’s why the three statements are read together:

The profit and loss statement answers: What was left?
The balance sheet answers: What do you own and owe?
The cash flow statement answers: What actually moved?

Parts 1 and 2 gave us the wider picture. Cash flow helps show how the money travelled through it.

If your statements arrive and go straight into a drawer, send us a message. We’re happy to help turn them into information you can use.

Address

70 Evanscrest Road NW Calgary AB T3P1J 1
Calgary, AB
T3A1H8

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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