--- title: "Accountant for E-Commerce & Online Sellers | EverStone CPA" url: https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-for-ecommerce description: "CPA for Canadian e-commerce and Amazon/Shopify sellers — sales tax across provinces, inventory, platform payouts, T2 and bookkeeping. Ask for a fixed fee." type: service-or-info updated: 2026-10-08 summary: "An accountant for e-commerce starts with sales tax, because sellers must register for GST/HST once taxable sales pass $30,000 over four consecutive calendar quarters, then charge tax based on where the customer is located rather than where the business sits. EverStone handles registration, multi-province rates, platform reconciliation and the corporate return for online sellers across BC." faq_count: 6 publisher: EverStone CPA Inc., a Chartered Professional Accountant firm registered with CPA British Columbia and CPA Alberta service_area: British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba language: en-CA contact: info@everstonecpa.com · https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online --- For online sellers [Home](https://www.everstonecpa.com/) [Services](https://www.everstonecpa.com/services) For Online Sellers # Accounting for *E-Commerce* That Scales With You Updated 8 October 2026 Shopify, Amazon, Etsy, multi-province sales tax, inventory and platform payouts — online selling gets messy fast. We turn it into clean books and a clear tax picture. [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online)[Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **Quick answer:** An accountant for e-commerce starts with sales tax, because sellers must [register for GST/HST](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/gst-hst-businesses/when-register-charge.html) once taxable sales pass $30,000 over four consecutive calendar quarters, then charge tax based on where the customer is located rather than where the business sits. EverStone handles registration, multi-province rates, platform reconciliation and the corporate return for online sellers across BC. Ecommerce CPA work starts with sales tax, whichever way you spell it. Selling online means sales-tax obligations that change by province and platform, inventory to track, and payouts that never quite match your bank. EverStone helps Canadian e-commerce owners — Shopify, Amazon FBA, Etsy and more — keep accurate books, handle GST/HST and PST correctly, and file a clean T2, all remotely at a fixed fee. For the wider picture — place of supply, marketplace facilitator rules, PST registrations and landed inventory cost. See the [ecommerce accounting hub](https://www.everstonecpa.com/ecommerce-accounting-hub). ## What we handle for you - GST/HST and [provincial sales-tax](https://www.everstonecpa.com/glossary#pst) registration and filing across Canada - Reconciling Shopify, Amazon, Stripe and PayPal payouts to your books - Inventory and cost-of-goods-sold tracking - [T2 corporate return](https://www.everstonecpa.com/corporate-tax-return-t2)s and year-end statements - Advice on incorporating as your store grows - Salary vs. dividend planning and personal T1 returns Online-seller tax, in plain English ## Where e-commerce accounting gets messy, and how we fix it The sales tax follows your customer’s province. Between marketplaces, multi-province sales tax, inventory and platform payouts, online selling generates more accounting complexity per dollar than almost any business. Here is what actually matters for your books and your tax bill. ### Marketplaces may collect GST/HST for you, or not Getting this wrong means either double-charging customers or under-remitting to the CRA. We map exactly which of your channels handle tax and which you are responsible for, so nothing is missed or duplicated. Amazon and Etsy often collect and remit tax under the marketplace-facilitator rules. Your own Shopify or WooCommerce store does not. That is on you. The guide to [marketplace GST/HST rules](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/ecommerce-marketplace-facilitator-rules-canada) explains when the platform collects and when you must. ### You charge tax based on where the customer is Canadian sales tax follows place-of-supply: an order to Ontario carries 13% HST, to BC it is 5% GST + 7% PST, to Alberta just 5% GST. Sell nationwide and you are managing several regimes at once. We configure and file it correctly across every province. ### Inventory hides your real profit Cash in the bank is not profit when half of it is sitting in unsold stock. Proper inventory and cost-of-goods-sold accounting is the only way to know your true margin, and to file a T2 the CRA will accept. We track COGS so your numbers reflect reality. ### Payouts are not revenue We reconcile Shopify, Amazon, Stripe and PayPal payouts back to gross sales, fees and refunds, so your books show what you really earned and what you really kept. A $200k Shopify sales figure can land as far less in your bank after fees, refunds, chargebacks and reserves. Revenue and cash are two different numbers. ### Selling into the US & cross-border US sales can create state sales-tax obligations (economic nexus) and add USD conversion to the mix. We flag when you are approaching a threshold and keep the foreign-exchange side clean on your Canadian return. How it works Shipping outside Canada? [When exports are zero-rated](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/gst-hst-on-exports-and-non-residents) sets out the conditions and the proof the CRA expects. ## Working with EverStone, start to finish - 1 **Email enquiry** We learn your platforms, where you sell, and how your books look today — then give you a fixed quote before any work begins. - 2 **We connect & clean up** Sales-tax registration where needed, and bookkeeping wired to Shopify, Amazon, Stripe and PayPal with inventory tracked properly. - 3 **We file everything** Multi-province GST/HST/PST, your T2 corporate return and year-end statements, and your personal T1 — all reconciled to real payouts. - 4 **Scale-ready advice** As you grow we advise on incorporating, US expansion, and cash flow — year-round, not just at tax time. Questions ## Accounting for E-Commerce That Scales With You — FAQ **Do I still register for GST/HST if Amazon already collects it?** Often yes. Even when a marketplace collects tax on your Amazon or Etsy sales, your own Shopify or direct sales usually are not covered, and once your total taxable sales pass $30,000 you generally must register. Registering also lets you claim input tax credits on your expenses. We look at all your channels together and tell you exactly what you need to register for. [Ask about your case →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **My Shopify says $200k but my bank shows less, which number is real?** Both are “real,” they just measure different things. Shopify shows gross sales; your bank shows what landed after platform fees, refunds, chargebacks and payout reserves. Your taxable profit is a third number again, after cost of goods and expenses. We reconcile all three so you know your true revenue, your true cash, and your true profit. **Do I have to charge sales tax on online sales in Canada?** Usually yes once you pass $30,000 in sales, and the rate depends on where your customer is, not just where you are. Multi-province selling means multiple tax rules. We register you correctly and handle the filings so you stay compliant. **How do you handle Amazon and Shopify payouts?** We reconcile the platform reports to your bank so your revenue, fees and refunds are all accounted for properly, with no more guessing what a payout represents. **When should an online seller incorporate?** Typically once profits are consistent and exceed what you draw personally, so you can defer tax at the small-business rate. We will look at your numbers and advise honestly. **Do you work with sellers across BC?** Yes. We are fully remote and work with online sellers across BC. ## Related services & tools Keep reading, or run your own numbers before we talk. [Bookkeeping & accounting](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accounting-services)[Corporate tax (T2)](https://www.everstonecpa.com/tax-services)[add or remove sales tax](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-calculator)[See fixed pricing](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing) **Fixed fees**Clear, fixed [pricing](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing-and-margin-analysis). You approve the fee before any work begins. No surprise bills. **One day**We reply to every enquiry within one business day, usually the same day. **CPA-led**Every file is handled personally by a CPA, never passed to junior staff. **No obligation**Sending an enquiry is free, with zero pressure and no obligation. What clients say ## Real reviews from real clients Rated 5.0 on Google across 21 client reviews. ★★★★★ “…He is very knowledgeable and has saved me tons in taxes by restructuring my group of companies — the best accountant I’ve worked with in the last 10 years, after switching from three different firms.” Matt Hildebrandt Verified Google Review ★★★★★ “Personal. Professional. Responsive. Plus he saved me a bundle!” Corrin Skalbeck Verified Google Review ★★★★★ “…We switched to him last year for both our personal and small-business taxes — responsive, knowledgeable and quick.” Heather Powers Verified Google Review [Read our Google reviews](https://www.everstonecpa.com/reviews) ## E-commerce accountants by city Each city page covers the provincial rules that apply to the work there. - **British Columbia:** [Vancouver](https://www.everstonecpa.com/ecommerce-accountant-vancouver) ### Starting fees Every fee is fixed in writing before any work begins. - **Monthly bookkeeping, GST/PST filing included** from $325 a month - **Payroll, remittances, T4s and ROEs** included in monthly bookkeeping - **Books, payroll and the year-end T2 together** $500–$700 a month - **Corporate year-end and T2 return** fixed fee, quoted in writing - **Personal tax return (T1)** from $125; self-employed or rental $275–$500 - **Catch-up bookkeeping** from $2,200 per year of records - **Controller or CFO support** controller from $1,650, CFO from $2,750 a month - **One-off advice call with a CPA** $225 plus GST [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online?service=monthly#enquiry-form) ## Ready for a CPA who makes it simple? Send an enquiry — answered by email, anywhere in BC, Alberta, Ontario or Manitoba. You’ll get a clear, fixed quote by email. [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online)[Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) Specialized accounting [E-commerce accountant in Vancouver](https://www.everstonecpa.com/ecommerce-accountant-vancouver) ## Talk to a CPA about this One Chartered Professional Accountant, start to finish. Fixed fees, quoted in writing before any work begins, and no obligation from a first conversation. [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online) [Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) Email info@everstonecpa.com ★★★★★ “…have been completing my bookkeeping, taxes and financials for the last 2 years and they have been amazing. Thank you!” R. H. · Google review --- Source: https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-for-ecommerce Prices: https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing · Contact: info@everstonecpa.com · https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online