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GST/HST Quick Method

Quick Method vs regular calculator

Reviewed by EverStone CPA · July 2026

Quick answer: The Quick Method saves money for service businesses with few taxable inputs. Enter your numbers to see which method remits less.

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 in a free consult.

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 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.

The values the page loads with: $120,000 revenue, $15,000 taxable expenses, a service business
StepFigure
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
ResultThe 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.

Where this estimate stops being reliable
AssumptionWhat it means for your number
Eligibility caps at $400,000Annual taxable supplies, GST included. Above that the Quick Method is not available.
The right remittance rateService 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 resultThe 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 claimableUnder 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

The Quick Method remits a flat percentage of tax-included sales in exchange for giving up input tax credits on ordinary purchases, so it helps a business selling mostly labour and costs a business buying heavily — and several professions, accountants and lawyers among them, cannot elect into it at all
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. 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 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 · We file GST returns

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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.
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 the sales and expenses you entered, so the lower number is the method that keeps more cash on those assumptions. The gap matters more than the absolute figures. If the two are close, the Quick Method’s simpler bookkeeping may still be worth it; if the regular method wins clearly, your input tax credits are doing real work.
What does the Quick Method comparison not account for?+
It does not account for capital purchases, which you can still claim separately under the Quick Method, nor for sales that are zero-rated or exempt, nor for PST. It assumes a steady mix of expenses across the year. A single large equipment purchase can flip the answer entirely, so re-run it in any year you expect major spending.
Can I switch back to the regular method later?+
Yes. The Quick Method election is not permanent — you can revoke it, though the election generally has to stay in place for a minimum period first and the change takes effect from the start of a reporting period. Because the switch is date-sensitive, decide before the period begins rather than trying to apply it retroactively at filing time.

Want these numbers confirmed for your business?

A free consult with a Fraser Valley CPA — we will check the figures against your actual situation and quote a fixed fee.

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Whichever method you use, the filing calendar is the same — see how GST/HST filing frequency is assigned.