--- title: "GST/HST Filing Burlington | 13% HST Returns, Fixed Fee" url: https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-filing-burlington description: "GST/HST filing for Burlington businesses: 13% HST returns, input tax credits, export sales and the Quick Method question handled online. Get a fixed quote." updated: 2026-10-16 publisher: EverStone CPA Inc. (Chartered Professional Accountant firm, Abbotsford, BC) service_area: British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba --- [Home](https://www.everstonecpa.com/) Burlington HST filing · Burlington # GST/HST filing in *Burlington* Ontario folded its provincial sales tax into the federal one, so a Burlington business files a single 13% return and recovers the tax it pays on business inputs. That simplicity is real, and it changes which planning options are worth taking. EverStone files HST for [Burlington businesses](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-burlington) remotely. [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online)[Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **Quick answer:** For Burlington businesses, Ontario uses a single 13% harmonized sales tax, made up of a 5% federal component and an 8% provincial component, administered by the Canada Revenue Agency. There is no separate Ontario registration and no non-recoverable provincial layer, so tax paid on business inputs is claimable. GST/HST filing is included in monthly bookkeeping from $300 a month. The work covers the GST/HST return (the GST34), input tax credits, the filing frequency, instalments where they apply and the notice of assessment that follows. At 13%, the flat-rate arithmetic looks nothing like it does at 5%. ## One tax, one registration, one return Ontario harmonized, and the structural consequences run further than most owners realize. The **13% HST** is a single tax comprising a 5% federal component and an 8% provincial component, collected and administered by the Canada Revenue Agency. There is no separate Ontario registration, no separate provincial return, and no provincial audit body to satisfy alongside the federal one. The more important consequence is on the purchasing side. In a harmonized province the entire 13% paid on business inputs is recoverable through **[input tax credits](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/rc4022.html)**, not just the federal 5%. A Burlington manufacturer buying machinery, a contractor buying materials, or a software firm paying for cloud services carries no embedded provincial sales tax in its cost base, provided the purchase is supported by a proper invoice and claimed in time. The rate and its composition are tabled with the source on the [Ontario tax facts page](https://www.everstonecpa.com/ontario-tax-facts). ## Selling outside Ontario from Burlington Burlington’s economic development office points to the city’s highway links — the QEW, Highway 403 and the 407 ETR — its rail connections, the nearby Port of Hamilton and its reach to United States border crossings at Queenston–Lewiston, Niagara Falls and Fort Erie–Buffalo. Companies that use those routes sell a good deal outside the province, and that is where most Burlington HST errors start. Goods and many services exported outside Canada are generally zero-rated: no HST is charged to the customer, but the business still claims input tax credits on what it bought to make the sale. The treatment depends on evidence that the goods actually left the country or that the service qualifies, so shipping documents and contracts need to be kept with the invoice. Sales to customers in other provinces follow the place-of-supply rules, so a sale delivered into a GST-only province carries the 5% federal rate alone, while one delivered into another harmonized province carries that province’s rate. We set the tax codes in your invoicing so each sale is charged correctly when it is issued, and reconcile them to the return every period. [Input tax credits](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/input-tax-credits-itc-canada-guide) covers the records the CRA expects behind a claim. ## The Quick Method arithmetic looks different at 13% The [Quick Method](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/rc4022.html) lets an eligible registrant remit a flat percentage of tax-included sales instead of tracking input tax credits on day-to-day operating purchases. You continue to *charge* customers the normal rate; what changes is how the remittance is calculated. There is also a credit on an initial portion of eligible supplies each year, which improves the arithmetic further for smaller registrants. Whether it pays turns on a single question: how much tax do you actually pay on operating inputs? A service business with few purchases — a Burlington consultancy, design studio, clinic or professional practice — typically remits less under the Quick Method, because the credits it gives up are small. A manufacturer, distributor or contractor with heavy operating purchases usually does worse. Significant capital purchases are generally still claimable separately, which is a common misreading. Our [Quick Method guide](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/gst-hst-quick-method-canada) works through the arithmetic. ## Related companies, and the election that stops tax circulating Burlington family businesses are often split across companies: an operating company and a holding company that owns the building and charges rent, or two operating companies that bill each other for shared staff. Each intercompany charge normally carries HST, which the recipient then claims back. The tax nets to nothing across the group and yet moves real cash between entities and across [reporting periods](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/rc4022.html). Where the conditions are met, closely related corporations can elect to treat certain supplies between them as made for no consideration, which removes the tax from those intercompany charges entirely. It is a filing with real eligibility requirements rather than a default, and it does not apply to every transaction between related parties. Our note on the [election between related corporations](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/gst-hst-section-156-election-related-corporations) sets out the conditions. ## Filing frequency, instalments and seasonal businesses The CRA assigns a reporting period based on revenue, and a registrant can often choose a more frequent one. A Burlington business that regularly receives refunds — an exporter claiming credits on purchases while charging little tax on zero-rated sales — often does better filing monthly or quarterly, so the refunds arrive sooner. A seasonal hospitality or tourism business, with most of its sales in the summer, may prefer a longer period but then needs to hold back the tax it collects in the busy months. Annual filers can also be required to pay instalments. We check the period against how your cash actually moves. ## What is covered - HST registration, or review of your current reporting period - Returns prepared and filed on your assigned schedule - Input tax credits claimed on the full 13%, including capital purchases - Zero-rated export sales and out-of-province sales coded correctly - Quick Method modelled against the regular method with your actual numbers - Intercompany charges reviewed where a group structure exists - Returns reconciled to the sales ledger rather than to bank activity - CRA correspondence and review requests handled for you ## Remote, and there is no Burlington office The same service covers Aldershot, Oakville, Waterdown and the rest of Halton. The work is done remotely, so which municipality the business sits in changes nothing about how it runs. EverStone is a fully virtual CPA firm serving BC, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba. There is no Burlington office — Burlington businesses are served entirely online, through video meetings, secure document exchange and e-signature. Sales tax work is a records-and-returns exercise, so nothing about it is improved by being in the same building. The nearest larger city page is [accounting in Hamilton](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-hamilton). Other Burlington services: [small business accounting in Burlington](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-burlington), [corporate tax (T2) in Burlington](https://www.everstonecpa.com/corporate-tax-accountant-burlington), [personal tax (T1) in Burlington](https://www.everstonecpa.com/personal-tax-accountant-burlington), [monthly bookkeeping in Burlington](https://www.everstonecpa.com/bookkeeping-burlington), [payroll in Burlington](https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-services-burlington), [year-end financial statements in Burlington](https://www.everstonecpa.com/financial-statements-burlington), [fractional CFO support in Burlington](https://www.everstonecpa.com/cfo-services-burlington), [trades and construction accounting in Burlington](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trades-accountant-burlington), [agency and studio accounting in Burlington](https://www.everstonecpa.com/agency-accountant-burlington). About this article **EverStone CPA** Prepared and reviewed by a Chartered Professional Accountant at EverStone CPA, a CPA firm working with small and midsized businesses in BC, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba. Updated October 2026 . [About the firm](https://www.everstonecpa.com/about) · [Send an enquiry](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online) ## Sales tax that applies to a Burlington business Sales tax that applies to a Burlington business Sales tax in Ontario | Tax | Rate | Administered by | | HST | 13% | Canada Revenue Agency | | Separate PST | None | — | | Composition | 5% federal + 8% provincial | — | Source: [Ontario tax facts](https://www.everstonecpa.com/ontario-tax-facts). General information, not advice. [When each GST/HST return is due](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-filing-deadlines) depends on the reporting period the CRA has assigned. In Burlington, EverStone also works with [agencies](https://www.everstonecpa.com/agency-accountant-burlington) and [trades](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trades-accountant-burlington). Common questions ## Burlington HST questions **What is the HST rate in Ontario?** 13%, made up of a 5% federal component and an 8% provincial component, collected as a single harmonized tax administered by the Canada Revenue Agency. There is no separate Ontario provincial sales tax registration to hold alongside it. [Ask about your case →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **Is the provincial part of HST recoverable?** Yes. In a harmonized province the whole 13% paid on business inputs is claimable through input tax credits in the ordinary way. That is the structural difference from a province running a separate retail sales tax, where the provincial layer is a cost that stays in the price. **Do I charge HST to a customer in the United States?** Usually not. Goods and many services exported outside Canada are zero-rated, so no tax is charged but input tax credits are still claimed. The export has to be supported by records, such as shipping documents, kept with the invoice. **Does the Quick Method mean charging customers less?** No. You continue to invoice at the normal rate that applies to the sale. What changes is how your remittance is calculated — a flat percentage of tax-included sales rather than tax collected less input tax credits on operating purchases. **Can related companies avoid charging HST to each other?** Where the eligibility conditions are met, closely related corporations can elect to treat certain supplies between them as made for no consideration. It is a filing with real requirements rather than an automatic treatment, and it does not extend to every transaction between related parties. **Does EverStone have a Burlington office?** No. The firm serves Burlington businesses entirely remotely. Meetings are by video, documents move through secure exchange, and approvals are signed electronically. **What does GST/HST filing cost in Burlington?** Burlington businesses pay the same published fees as everyone else. GST/HST filing is included in monthly bookkeeping from $300 a month. A standalone return is quoted in writing after we review your enquiry. [See the published fees](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing). **Do you work with businesses outside Burlington itself?** Yes. Registrants in Aldershot, Oakville, Waterdown, Hamilton and the rest of Halton file on the same schedule and at the same fee as Burlington businesses; nothing about the service depends on the municipality. ## Related services and local guides Nearby cities, the rest of what we do for Burlington businesses, and the reference pages behind this one. [Financial statements for Burlington companies Year-end statements for Burlington companies — inventory, equipment, work in progress and what a lender expects, handled by a remote CPA.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/financial-statements-burlington) [Bookkeeping for Burlington businesses Monthly bookkeeping for Burlington businesses — HST coding, inventory and job costs, and employer health tax accruals.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/bookkeeping-burlington) [Marketplace GST/HST rules: when the platform collects and when you must When an online marketplace collects GST/HST on your sales and when you have to collect it yourself — the Canadian platform rules, explained for sellers.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/ecommerce-marketplace-facilitator-rules-canada) [Trades accountant in Burlington CPA for Burlington trades: HST on construction, compulsory WSIB coverage, holdback and T5018 slips.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/trades-accountant-burlington) [Accounting & CPA services in Hamilton Remote CPA work for Hamilton companies](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-hamilton) [GST/HST filing in Toronto The same GST/HST filing engagement, serving Toronto](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-filing-toronto) [Payroll in Burlington Payroll for Burlington businesses](https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-services-burlington) [CFO services in Burlington CFO services for Burlington businesses](https://www.everstonecpa.com/cfo-services-burlington) [Accounting & CPA services in Burlington CPA services for Burlington businesses](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-burlington) [GST/HST hub Registration, filing and the quick method](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-hub) [GST/HST calculator Work out the tax on any amount](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-calculator) [Accountants across Ontario Remote CPA service throughout Ontario](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-ontario) [Ontario tax facts Current rates and thresholds for Ontario](https://www.everstonecpa.com/ontario-tax-facts) [Personal tax accountant in Burlington T1 preparation for Burlington incorporated owners: the Ontario surtax, the health premium and dividends.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/personal-tax-accountant-burlington) ## Who this is for, and who it is not This fits a Burlington business that is registered, or about to be, and wants the return filed on the right frequency with the input tax credits actually claimed and export sales coded properly. It is not the right fit if you want someone to press submit on figures nobody has reconciled: a GST return is only ever as good as the books behind it. Filing and the bookkeeping behind it are both on [the published fee list](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing). ## What happens when you get in touch GST/HST is federal, so a Burlington filing runs the same way as one filed from anywhere else. - **A free thirty-minute conversation.** What you sell, where your customers are, and what [reporting frequency](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-filing-deadlines) the CRA currently has you on. - **Frequency and method checked.** Whether your reporting period still suits your revenue, and whether [the quick method](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/gst-hst-quick-method-canada) would leave you better off than claiming credits line by line. - **Filed on time, every period.** The return prepared from reconciled books and filed before the deadline, with instalments tracked if you are an annual filer. [Send an enquiry](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online), or [ask one GST question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) and get an answer from a CPA. ## HST filed and reconciled Returns, input tax credits, export sales and the Quick Method question handled by a CPA, remotely. Send an enquiry. [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online)[Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) ★★★★★ “…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/gst-hst-filing-burlington Contact: info@everstonecpa.com · https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online