--- title: "GST Quick Method vs Regular Calculator | EverStone CPA" url: https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-method-vs-regular-calculator description: "Compare the GST/HST Quick Method against the regular method for your BC business. Enter revenue and expenses to see which remits less. Free and private." type: tool updated: 2026-10-02 summary: "The Quick Method saves money for service businesses with few taxable inputs. Enter your numbers to see which method remits less." faq_count: 7 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 --- [Home](https://www.everstonecpa.com/) Quick Method vs regular calculator [Home](https://www.everstonecpa.com/) [Free tools](https://www.everstonecpa.com/tools) GST/HST Quick Method GST/HST Quick Method # Quick Method vs regular *calculator* Updated 2 October 2026 **Quick answer:** The [Quick Method](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-calculator) saves money for service businesses with few taxable inputs. Enter your numbers to see which method remits less. **Not sure the Quick Method suits you?** We run both methods on your real figures, make the election if it pays and file the returns, as part of bookkeeping from $325 a month. [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online?service=monthly#enquiry-form) Annual revenue before GST GST-eligible expenses in the year (purchases you paid 5% GST on) Business type Opens your own email app with the numbers filled in — add your question and a CPA replies, usually the same business day. Estimates for general information, not tax advice specific to your situation. Rates and rules change and your result depends on details a calculator cannot capture. We confirm the numbers for your circumstances once we review your enquiry. **Nothing you type here leaves your browser.** This calculator runs entirely on your device — no figures are sent to us or to anyone else. What this calculator answers **Would the GST/HST [Quick Method](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/rc4022.html) remit less than the regular method for my business?** Small businesses with low taxable expenses relative to revenue — typically service businesses. It compares remittance only. The Quick Method must be elected, and the election has timing rules. ## A worked example These are the numbers already in the calculator above, so you can follow the arithmetic against the result it is showing. Worked example The values the page loads with: $120,000 revenue, $15,000 taxable expenses, a service business | Step | Figure | | Regular — tax collected | $120,000 × 5% = $6,000 | | Regular — input tax credits | $15,000 × 5% = $750 | | Regular — remitted | $5,250 | | Quick — GST-included revenue | $126,000 | | Quick — at the 3.6% service rate | $4,536, less the 1% credit on the first $30,000 = $300 | | Quick — remitted | $4,236 | | Result | The Quick Method remits $1,014 less | ## What it assumes, and where it stops Every estimate rests on assumptions. These are the ones that would change your number most. Assumptions and limits Where this estimate stops being reliable | Assumption | What it means for your number | | Eligibility caps at $400,000 | Annual taxable supplies, GST included. Above that the Quick Method is not available. | | The right remittance rate | Service businesses and goods resellers use different rates, and the rate also depends on the province. Picking the wrong one inverts the answer. | | High expenses reverse the result | The more taxable expenses you have, the more input tax credits the regular method gives you, and the worse the Quick Method looks. | | Capital purchases are still claimable | Under the Quick Method you can still claim input tax credits on capital items such as equipment and vehicles. | General information, not advice. [Have a CPA confirm it for your situation](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online) It trades your input tax credits for a lower flat remittance. ## Who the Quick Method actually helps The Quick Method lets you remit a flat percentage of your GST-included sales instead of tracking every [input tax credit](https://www.everstonecpa.com/glossary#itc). It wins when you have **high revenue and low taxable purchases** — consultants, trades who mostly sell labour, designers, bookkeepers. It loses when you buy a lot of taxable inputs, because you give up claiming GST back on them. Eligibility is annual taxable supplies of **$400,000 or less** (GST included), and certain professions, including accountants, lawyers and financial consultants — are specifically excluded. You elect into it with the CRA; it is not automatic. ## The 1% credit people forget On the first **$30,000** of eligible supplies each year you get an extra 1% credit — up to $300, which this calculator already applies. It is small, but it is routinely missed on self-prepared returns. ## One caution Even on the Quick Method you still claim [input tax credits](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/rc4022.html) on **capital purchases** such as equipment and vehicles. And if your purchasing pattern changes, a big equipment year, a move into reselling goods — the better method can flip. It is worth re-running this once a year rather than electing and forgetting. [The full Quick Method guide](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/gst-hst-quick-method-canada) · We file GST returns Embed this calculator Free to use on your own site — the snippet keeps a credit link back to this page.

Calculator by EverStone CPA

Common questions ## Quick Method vs Regular Calculator FAQ **Who cannot use the Quick Method?** Certain listed professions are excluded, including accountants, bookkeepers, lawyers, notaries, actuaries and financial consultants, along with some public-service bodies. Everyone else under the annual taxable supply limit may elect. [Ask about your case →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **What are the BC Quick Method rates?** For a permanent establishment in British Columbia making 90% or more of supplies in a 5% GST province, the rate is 3.6% for service businesses and 1.8% for businesses reselling goods. Rates differ in HST provinces and for other supply mixes. **Can I still claim input tax credits on the Quick Method?** Not on ordinary operating purchases — that is the trade-off for the lower remittance rate. You can still claim input tax credits on capital purchases such as equipment, vehicles and real property. **How do I elect into the Quick Method?** You file an election with the CRA (Form GST74). The election generally has to stay in effect for at least a year, so it is worth confirming the maths before you file — this calculator is a starting point, not the decision. **How do I read the comparison this calculator produces?** It shows what you would remit under each method on your figures; the lower number keeps more cash. The gap matters more than the totals. If they are close, the Quick Method’s simpler bookkeeping may win; if the regular method wins clearly, your input tax credits are doing real work. **What does the Quick Method comparison not account for?** It ignores capital purchases, which you can still claim under the Quick Method, zero-rated or exempt sales, and PST, and assumes a steady expense mix. One large equipment purchase can flip the answer, so re-run it in any year of major spending. **Can I switch back to the regular method later?** Yes. The election can be revoked, though it generally must stay in place for a minimum period, and the change takes effect from the start of a reporting period. Decide before the period begins, not retroactively at filing time. ## Want these numbers confirmed for your business? Send an enquiry to a Fraser Valley CPA. We will check the figures against your actual situation and quote a fixed fee. [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online)[Book a Paid Advice Call](https://www.everstonecpa.com/advice-call) ## Have a question about this? Ask free through [the quick-question form](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question); a CPA replies within one business day. Need more? A 45-minute **Advice Call** is $225 plus GST, credited to your first invoice if you become a client within 60 days. Want us to take it on? [Send an enquiry](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online). [Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) [Book a Paid Advice Call](https://www.everstonecpa.com/advice-call) Email info@everstonecpa.com ★★★★★ “…We switched to him last year for both our personal and small-business taxes — responsive, knowledgeable and quick.” Heather Powers · Google review Whichever method you use, the filing calendar is the same. See [how GST/HST filing frequency is assigned](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-filing-deadlines). --- Source: https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-method-vs-regular-calculator Prices: https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing · Contact: info@everstonecpa.com · https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online