The Canadian small business bookkeeping checklist
A year-round Canadian bookkeeping checklist with suggested task owners, records to gather and completion checks for weekly routines, month-end, GST/HST, payroll and year-end.
Service
Bookkeeping & General Ledger
Clean, current books maintained on your cloud accounting platform — so you always know exactly where your business stands, without the admin.
Your books are the foundation every decision rests on. When they’re behind or unreliable, everything downstream suffers — cash flow gets murky, tax time turns stressful, and you’re making calls on numbers you can’t fully trust.
Avora takes bookkeeping off your plate entirely. We record and categorise every transaction, keep your general ledger clean, and make sure nothing slips through the cracks. You get books that are accurate, current, and ready for review at any moment — not a shoebox of receipts to reconcile in a panic each spring.
Because we work remotely on modern cloud platforms, your numbers stay live and accessible wherever you are. And because we’re boutique, you deal with someone who actually knows your business — not a rotating cast at a call centre.
Who needs it
Owners who are behind on their books, spending nights catching up, or simply want the burden off their plate — and firms that need dependable bookkeeping capacity they can trust.
What Avora handles
- Recording and categorising every transaction, accurately and on time
- Maintaining a clean, organised general ledger
- Managing accounts payable and receivable
- Delivering review-ready books at the close of each period
What you receive
- Up-to-date books on QuickBooks Online or Xero
- A clear month-end summary of where you stand
- One responsive point of contact who knows your file
Common problems we help with
- Books that are weeks or months behind
- Transactions that were never properly categorised
- Reports you can't fully trust when making decisions
- Receipts and records scattered across email, drives and paper
How it works
01
Understand your file
We review where things stand and what "done right" looks like for you.
02
Set up secure access
Permissioned access to your cloud accounting — no shared passwords.
03
Record & categorise
Every transaction recorded accurately, on an agreed cadence.
04
Reconcile & review
Accounts tied out and the period closed cleanly.
05
Report
A clear month-end summary of where you stand.
Common questions
How current will my books be?
We work to an agreed cadence — usually monthly — so your records reflect what's actually happened and you're never guessing. See what a bookkeeper does every month.
What if I'm behind before we start?
That's common. We begin with catch-up and cleanup to bring your books current, then keep them current going forward.
Will you work with my accountant?
Yes. We keep the books clean through the year so your accountant can focus on tax and year-end. We don't provide tax or legal advice.
Not sure if this is what your books need? Take the Health Check →
Related insights
Reading that goes with this
DIY bookkeeping vs hiring a bookkeeper: which is right for you?
When doing your own books makes sense, when it starts costing you more than it saves, and how to decide — a practical framework for Canadian small businesses.
QuickBooks vs spreadsheet bookkeeping for a small business
When a spreadsheet is enough, what you gain by moving to QuickBooks or Xero, and how to know it's time to switch — for Canadian small businesses.
Talk to Avora about bookkeeping & general ledger
Tell us where your books stand and we'll suggest a sensible next step — no pressure, no obligation.