Canadian Seller tax questions

Can someone with experience filing taxes with the CRA answer a few questions for me? I know that Ebay fees are part of expenses when doing the profit and loss statement to get net profit. Are Paypal fees a part of expenses as well?

 

What other things count as expenses when calculating net profit? I know that gas and utilities are deductible items when trying to lower the income tax that you must pay to the government, but are they are part of expenses when calculating the business' net profit? Do they count as an expense. I get confused between what counts as an expense and what is a deductible expense when lowering owed income tax. Can someone give me a link to a site that can help me with this, or just a basic run down of what I should count as a direct expense, vs a deductible expense.

 

Direct expenses to calculate net profit, what I have so far...

 

-Ebay fees

-Consignment fees

-Shipping and packaging

-Bank account fees

 

-What about Paypal fees, a percentage of gas, car insurance (as my car is registered as business use), internet, cell phone, etc.

 

Deductible costs to lower income tax owed

-Percentage of gas as determined by car log

-accountant fees

-home utility fees, I have a designated office room, so it will be a percentage of the square footage of the house

 

What about Ebay and Paypal fees, are they deductible as well as an expense?

 

This is my first year doing taxes as a business, so I'm really confused. Any help would be great. Thanks!

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Re: Canadian Seller tax questions

I'm just now in the process of getting my paperwork ready to hand over to my accountant as well.

 

The only information that I can see that you left out and and she has requested is house insurance, taxes, and even house repairs.

She also claims a portion of all car related expenses such as repairs, Drive Clean test and licence fees etc.

 

She's very thorough and worth every penny I pay her.  Smiley Happy

 

 

Oh, and P.S.:  All of the things you have doubts about are valid claims.

 

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Re: Canadian Seller tax questions

Good evening.

 

This question comes up every year at this time as sellers prepare their bookkeeping records for income tax purposes.

 

To start, I suggest you take a look at this sample "Profit & Loss Statement" I prepared a few years ago for the benefits of eBay sellers:

 

http://pierrelebel.com/lists/P&L-sample.htm

 

Adapt to your needs.

 

First, I should state that there are two different ways to prepare revenues and expenses, depending whether you are registered with GST/HST or not. 

 

If you are not registered with GST/HST, then the tax paid at time of purchase of goods or services (such as postage) should be included in the costs of those goods and services when doing your bookkeeping.

 

If you are registered with GST/HST, then none of the amounts paid for taxes should be included in your bookkeeping.  They belong into "suspense" accounts which do not affect your profit in any way (as you get back ALL taxes paid as ITCs).

 

When calculating "revenues" (or sales) one needs to include all amounts charged to customers, including shipping and handling.  The amounts reported should be in Canadian dollars.

 

When calculating your "cost of goods sold" follow the example in the sample P&L.

 

The difference between your revenues and your "cost of goods" results in your "Gross Profit"

 

From that amount, you deduct your business related expenses to arrive at your "Net Profit" (that is the amount included on line 135 of your personal income tax return). For information purposes, the amount calculated earlier as your total revenues should be shown on line 162. That number does not affect your income for tax purposes.  Only your "Net Profit" is considered Business Income and added to your other Income (salaries, commission, investments, pension, etc...) to arrive to your total income (line 150)

 

Now "business related expenses"can be tricky.  I suggest you consult the guide provided by CRA.

 

Basically, all office supplies purchased for the use of the business can be deducted as are the fees paid to eBay.

 

PayPal fees are an eligible expense of course but can be handled one of two ways:

1) add up all your PayPal fees paid during the year

or

2) consider as revenues the net amounts received from PayPal (net of fees paid to PayPal)

 

Either method is acceptable and will yield exactly the same results. It is a matter of how convenient it is for you to select one method over the other and use the same method on a consistent basis.

 

"Occupancy Costs" is another area that can be tricky.  Use the square area used exclusively for your business and divide it by the total area of your house of apartment. In most instances the answer will be in the 10% to 20% neighbourhood.

If you own, add property taxes paid to the municipality, utilities (water, etc...), hydro, heating and house insurance  If your house is not paid for, add the interest portion of your mortgage payments (interest only). Then multiply the total by the percentage of exclusive occupancy related to your business.  In any case, the "occupancy cost" expense cannot be deducted if your business is losing money or if including it would result in a loss.

 

As far as "car expenses" are concerned, this is a very tricky area.

 

:"as my car is registered as business use"  I do not know what that means.  Is you car used exclusively for your business?  If so, why?

 

Telephone and internet costs are generally not deductible unless of course they are used exclusively for your business. 

 

"Percentage of gas as determined by car log".  That gets much too complicated. Keep it simple.  Do not deduct any direct car expenses.  Instead deduct a per km usage charge.  Typically $0.40 to $0.50 per km used for business is allowed if good logs are kept.  Unfortunately, this is an area where many taxpayers abuse deductions and get heavily penalized when their returns are audited (I have much experience in having my tax return - and GST/HST returns - audited. It is not a fun experience!).

 

Start by reading http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/bsnss/tpcs/slprtnr/bsnssxpnss/menu-eng.html

 

As always, I strongly recommend hiring a competent account, familiar with your personal circumstances and preferably experienced in (international) mail order.

 

Good Luck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Re: Canadian Seller tax questions

Thanks so much everyone for the replies. This is really helping to get me in order.

 

Pierre, I did look at your profit and loss statement from another forum. It helped a lot. I will be registering for GST/HST, but I read that I only have to pay the GST/HST from when I started making over the allotted amount that requires you to register. This is my first year in business, so it was somewhere around September that my sales reached around $30,000 or whatever it was with the sales and shipping. So, should I still include the tax for purchases for inventory that were made before this time, as I am not required to remit HST for those sales and therefore won't be getting anything back for those sales.

 

I really didn't have many Canadian sales this year, maybe 10 so the HST I will owe when I hit the $30,000 and needed to register will be low. 

 

I won't be claiming gas this year, because I didn't keep good receipts at all and I have other deductions from old education credits I can make. I am starting to keep a log book, because I use my car mainly for business purposes, but not solely. My insurance company and the CRA prefers that you register your car for business use. My insurance company said that I'm like a delivery business, because I transport items in my car to the post office for shipping. SO, I changed my insurance and it is registered for business use.

 

Let's say I use 1000km per month for business use. Can I assume then at 0.50km that I can deduct $6000 from my owed income tax for the year? I am doing the best I can to document this well for this year. I travel a lot for shipping (next town over) as well as picking up items that I purchase to sell, from all over the province. I am getting folders to keep all my receipts and writing down exactly where I go what for etc., on a calendar and in log books. I purchase all my gas with a credit card like you're supposed to. So if I get audited next year, I will have a good trail for the gas at least. 

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Re: Canadian Seller tax questions

Also, do I have to pay CPP? How do I do this, and how do I figurine out how much I owe?

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Re: Canadian Seller tax questions

If you are paying a mortgage on a residence.... do not deduct  any part of the principle paid each year from business  income...

 

Deducting the principle means the business ends up owning a part of the residence.....

 

and... When the business is terminated one has to include  this total deducted amount as business income.....  because you as the owner of the house  must buy back that part  of the principle paid by the business and deducted as business expenses...

 

 

The cost in relation to a house  includes everything except that paid  as principle on a mortgage.

 

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I keep a record of all expenses in  relation to  automobile use....  The tax deductible amount is business mileage as a percentage of total mileage....   Mileage is recorded with each use of the automobile for business

 

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Use of a part of a house, or an apartment....one deducts a business expense if the use of a room is dedicated only to the business.

 

I have several bookcases of books in my bedroom......This bedroom is not a part of tax deductible business expenses  because it is not used 100 % for business....  In contrast my living room and dining area are 100 % business deductible.

 

Use of a part of a room for business, as I do with the bedroom,, does not count as a business expense.... using a corner of a room for business  does not count as a deductible expense

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The total amount in relation to the registration  for collection of GST/HST  ... $30,000 ......includes the total of sales PLUS postage... A buyer pays a total of item plus postage... as a seller's total income... and the seller buys postage as a deduction from this total amount.

 

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In order to understand  taxes... total business income  and then allowable deductible business costs, one has to do a lot of reading of the CRA document on their website... and then ask  questions of the right person... such as an accountant familiar with online selling.

 

I started simply  and   became more expert at what to do, with lots of reading  and then listening most carefully to someone like Pierre.

 

There were a lot of subtleties  that were learned over the year... and with this learning my view of business taxation and GST/HST  was fine tuned..

 

 

 

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Re: Canadian Seller tax questions

One keep all receipts.....  for all  business income,  and then all deductions.

 

One must keep the records for a total of six years... plus the current year.

 

For me  the current year is 2017, and I have all of the records for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.

 

Destroying business records does not mean just tossing them in the garbage.... old   records are shredded....  This is done to prevent any personal data  of buyers,  and you as a seller from being using in an unacceptable manner...

 

It is most important for one, as an online seller, to understand  that there are people always searching for personal records....phishing online....  and searching the garbage  

 

As each year passes, hackers get better at what they do...... Tossing records in the garbage... without shredding the records i is unacceptable based on Canada's privacy policy.

 

One must always be careful  with the disposable of sales data.... 

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Re: Canadian Seller tax questions

Keeping records....  as things happen... day-by-day

 

Some people use purchased software.

 

I use spreadsheets....  A specific approach has been developed over time.. to record each and every business number on the correct file...

 

such that....  on January 1 of any year....   I know all of the information required to calculate any tax owing. on the year previous

 

and... I use Turbotax.....  very easy to use  and appropriate entries on associated pages are made with each entry of new information....

 

Turbotax is only one of many tax software options available.

 

I use Turbotax... others may choose to work with an accountant..... and most important... the accountant must understand all aspects of  business relating to online selling.

 

and that includes an accountant who understand GST/HST... as it applies to online selling.....

 

Everything is unique to online selling.....

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Re: Canadian Seller tax questions

"I will be registering for GST/HST, but I read that I only have to pay the GST/HST from when I started making over the allotted amount that requires you to register. "

 

This is a complex issue and - once again - I suggest you consult a competent accountant familiar with your circumstances and experienced in international mail order business for guidance. Candidly, one needs a lot of information you do not want to put on a public forum such as this.

 

Much depends on your anticipated level of business.  Are you expecting to sell $100,000 a year, $200,000, more?  Is eBay only one of many marketing online venues?  Do you have other unrelated businesses?

 

"...I only have to pay the GST/HST..."

 

It works both ways.  Once registered, you are eligible to claim ITCs on all taxes paid on your purchases and expenses.  If a very small percentage of your sales are domestic, it is not unusual to get a refund from GST/HST year after year as more tax is paid on purchases and expenses that payable on domestic sales.

 

"Can I assume then at 0.50km that I can deduct $6000 from my owed income tax for the year?"

 

Are you serious?  What kind of business are you planning to conduct on eBay that requires driving that much? 50 kms each and every business day?  It frankly does not make sense.  Nor does it make business sense.  Prior to retirement, my mail order business had revenues of hundreds of thousands of dollars each year yet I never claimed as much as $2,000 a year in car/travel expenses.  This is mail order business where most of the work is done from home, not on the road. I can guarantee that anyone in the mail order business claiming more than $5,000 a year in car/travel expenses will be audited by CRA.

 

"My insurance company and the CRA prefers that you register your car for business use."

 

????  Where did you get information that CRA prefers that you "register" your car for business use?

 

" I changed my insurance and it is registered for business use."

 

I am curious. How much more premiums are you paying your insurance issuer?

 

Now I noticed that your listings show shipping from Niagara Falls, New York, USA.  Is that correct?  Is your business in fact located in the USA or are you in Canada, living near the border, and shipping from the USA to save on postage?

 

Either way, let me emphasize the need to consult a competent accountant with experience and expertise in international mail order business.  Your circumstances do not appear to be those of the vast majority of Canadian eBay sellers (selling and shipping from home) and may require different answers to your questions.

 

Good Luck.

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Re: Canadian Seller tax questions

"Also, do I have to pay CPP? How do I do this, and how do I figurine out how much I owe? "

 

Yes, income generated from self-employment requires payment of CPP at twice the regular rate.  You are paying for both the employee (you) and the employer (you again).

 

There is a schedule with the tax return forms to guide you.  Pretty easy to follow.

 

On the bright side, while you pay twice as much, you can also claim twice as much for CPP deductions.

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Re: Canadian Seller tax questions

Good to see you back, Pierre!  I'm sure I'm not the only one who was wondering whether you'd gone on to other things permanently.  Will you still be around here now and then? 

 

I hope life is good and retirement is treating you well.  Cheers! 

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Re: Canadian Seller tax questions

It is very good to see your name here again Pierre. 🙂

I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

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Re: Canadian Seller tax questions

Hi Pierre, 

 

Thanks for all of the answers. I am still learning everything, so bear with me. I am consulting with an accountant who is familiar with running an Ebay business, but we haven't done a formal meeting. I will be checking with him about all of this stuff when I do, especially the HST.

 

So for the HST, should I could the HST on the inventory I bought prior to hitting the 30,000 in sales mark, or is it after. I won't be registering until I hit that 30,000, and I still don't have much to pay back because I have very few Canadian buyers.

 

I probably will get an HST/GST refund because like you said a very small percentage of my sales are domestic. Can you give me an idea of how I can calculate that refund? I will ask my accountant as well. 

 

I am serious about my gas. Maybe I calculated it wrong though. On a weekly basis I do drive about 300-400kms for business. I will be stringent in keeping a log book that documents this. I don't know what the difference is between a mail order business and the kind of business that I run is. I buy and sell antiques and collectibles that I purchase from auctions within my province. I have to travel sometimes up to two hours to go pick something up, and this is often weekly, so yes it could be as much as 40-50kms a day. I drive 100kms once a week to go ship items. Sometimes 200kms. Oh, this is a stupid question, but when calculating a work trip, do I calculate going there as well as coming back?

So, I know my gas seems excessive, but most of my business depends on me sourcing inventory and going to pick it up. It is often still cheaper for me to pick it up then to have it shipped. I buy a lot of breakables and I don't want them to be damaged during shipping. I guess when I go to claim my gas next year I will ask my accountant what seems like a reasonable amount to claim, so that I am at less risk for an audit. My income tax owed likely wouldn't be over 4,000 anyways, so it's not like I would get a refund by claiming more gas. Still, it is the honest truth that that is how much I use for business. I don't have a mail order business. I have a consignment business as well as buying and selling my own stock. I have to travel to ship and pick up consignment items too. 

 

I remember reading somewhere that if the CRA audits you for automobile use deductions they prefer to see that you have your insurance registered as business use. It's more legit that way and shows that you're operating an actual business and using your car for it. Unfortunately I have to pay about $40 extra a month to be labelled business use. Hopefully it goes down next year. I'm in a really low cost insurance area, so it's not too bad. Not compared to the $300 I used to pay in the city when I first started out.

 

Yes, I ship from the border.

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Re: Canadian Seller tax questions

You have... lots and lots of questions....  more than any of us can answer

 

and... It is because of this you need an accountant that understands every aspect of your situation.

 

There is a lot to know......  WE cannot answer the questions directly mainly because everything depends on everything you do.... and the questions keeping adding on, and on...

 

First and foremost  you must sit down and identify what you do.... Everything you do to run your business is most likely tax deductible.  and then  you have to  keep all of the records relating to what you do personally .as well as your business  

 

If you plan to get bigger... much, much bigger....with your business...  eventually you may choose to "incorporate"    

 

A corporation is an entity unto itself....  taxed as a corporation... and your earnings are classified as dividends... Dividends are tax-advantaged as one's income

 

 

From all you have said here....  you may eventually get BIG   in your business.... and the most important thing you can do right now  is keep all records relating to you personally, and to what you do as a business..... because it is all interrelated... all tied together

 

and when it comes to taxation... there is only one thing to do...  that is the right thing as the Canada Revenue Agency views what you do in relation to what is correct with respects to all aspects of "taxation".

 

and above all  ................You need an accountant  that can answer your questions

 

 

 

 

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Re: Canadian Seller tax questions

You probably do need some professional advice.

 

But before you do you need to do some homework, CRA has a lot of information available especially regarding HST/GST which you should read. It's a subject that you be able to read the guide and easily understand the requirements and obligations because as an eBay seller it's really very simple, few if any of the complex GST situations will ever apply.

 

Getting a book on basic small business bookkeeping is worthwhile, you need to know the basics so you can ask questions and have a better idea if you are getting accurate advice when you are paying to meet with an accountant.

 

 



"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.
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Re: Canadian Seller tax questions

For automobile expenses if you have a decent log of where you went and why you went there you should be ok. I underwent an 80 hour CRA audit a few years back, and when the auditor saw that I regularly traveled from London ON to Fort Gratiot MI for mail he did not question my auto expenses. I did not claim an unreasonable amount for the car, and the car at the time was a plain Jane Plymouth minivan with a lot of km's on it. If one were to drive around in a Lincoln or Cadillac the auditor might closely examine auto expenses.

 

My experience with an auditor may vary greatly from another persons. If audited, answer any questions that CRA may have but do not  get chatty with them or volunteer information. Give them a place to work and get on with your work  which is making enough $ so that you can pay taxes so civil servants can have their gold plated fringe benefits.

 

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Re: Canadian Seller tax questions

Pierre, I have a question about the HST. You were saying that I shouldn't count my HST (once I am registered) for purchases that I make for items to sell) as part of the cost of goods, because I will be getting this hst back. Do I get this hst back on all purchases made in ontario, even if sold internationally? Or, do they have to be items I sell within Canada. Thanks.

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Re: Canadian Seller tax questions


@kellyandcharlie wrote:

...  I shouldn't count my HST (once I am registered) for purchases that I make for items to sell) as part of the cost of goods, because I will be getting this hst back. Do I get this hst back on all purchases made in ontario, even if sold internationally? Or, do they have to be items I sell within Canada.


All GST/HST that is paid for business purposes is subtracted from the GST/HST that you collect from your Canadian buyers. The difference is what you pay the government (or what they pay you) when you settle your accounts (yearly or quarterly or monthly depending on total sales).

 

Where your item is sold only counts for taxes collected.  It has nothing to do with recovering taxes paid.

 

-..-

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Re: Canadian Seller tax questions

"Do I get this hst back on all purchases made in ontario, even if sold internationally?"

 

You get ITCs for 100% of all GST/HST paid on all purchases of goods and business related services, regardless of point of purchase or where the taxable goods were sold.

 

For example, if you import items from China and GST/HST is charged to you at time of Customs clearance, you get 100% back regardless whether the items are sold to a Canadian customer, overseas customer or are still on your shelf (unsold) at the end of the year.

 

This is why many Canadian eBay sellers registered with GST/HST actually receive GST/HST refund from the federal government every year if their sales outside the country (taxable at 0% - zero rated) are substantial relative to domestic sales (taxed at a rate dependent to the province of the buyer).  Prior to my retirement, I was getting thousands of dollars back from Ottawa every year.

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Re: Canadian Seller tax questions

Do you mind sharing your accountant info! 🙏🏻

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