Overview
BoldTrail BackOffice calculates GST, HST, and PST on your commission income and syncs tax data to QuickBooks Online for CRA filing. This article covers where taxes appear, how rates are determined, and how to review or override amounts.
Sales tax is handled on the Finances dashboard within each transaction. Commission amounts are entered separately in commission details - taxes are calculated on top of those amounts based on the property's province.
BackOffice applies tax rates automatically using the following logic for real estate transaction (Post to GL) based on the property address:
It reads the province from the property details
For a given user and deduction name, it recalls the last tax rate used
If no province is entered or the province isn't recognized, you'll be prompted to Select Rate manually.
Sales tax can be added to any accounting transaction in BackOffice, not just when posting to the general ledger. This includes invoices and bills. When creating or editing any accounting document, you'll find the tax field available to review, apply, or override as needed.
How default tax rates work
BoldTrail BackOffice uses the property's province to determine the applicable tax rate:
Province | Tax Type | Rate |
Alberta | GST only | 5% |
British Columbia | GST + PST | 5% + 7% |
Manitoba | GST + PST | 5% + 7% |
New Brunswick | HST | 15% |
Newfoundland & Labrador | HST | 15% |
Nova Scotia | HST | 15% |
Ontario | HST | 13% |
PEI | HST | 15% |
Quebec | GST + QST | 5% + 9.975% |
Saskatchewan | GST + PST | 5% + 6% |
Overriding tax amounts
While you can't change the base rates, you can override the total tax amount on any accounting document - invoices, bills, and the Post to GL window.
This is useful when:
A transaction has a unique tax treatment (e.g., partial exemption)
You need to match a specific amount from a lawyer's statement of adjustments
Your accountant has calculated a different total due to rounding or adjustments
To override:
Open the Post to GL window (or the relevant invoice/bill)
Locate the tax line
Edit the total tax amount directly
The overridden amount is what syncs to QuickBooks
QuickBooks Sync for Tax Returns
Tax data flows from BoldTrail to QuickBooks Online automatically:
Each transaction's tax amounts sync with the correct Canadian tax codes
QuickBooks accumulates these for your sales tax return
You calculate your GST/HST return through QuickBooks (not BoldTrail) and file/pay on the tax authority's website.
How do I enable and set up Sales Tax in QuickBooks
Before tax data can sync properly, make sure sales tax is enabled for your province in QuickBooks:
Navigate to the Sales Tax menu in QuickBooks
Click Manage > Add tax
Select your province and follow the setup steps
Once enabled, QuickBooks will automatically accumulate the tax data that BackOffice pushes over.