For consultants
Invoicing software for Canadian consultants
Consulting invoices are read by someone who did not hire you. If the PO number is missing or the tax lines look improvised, the invoice sits in a queue instead of a payment run.
What usually goes wrong
Invoices rejected by accounts payable
Missing PO references, unclear registration numbers and inconsistent numbering are the usual causes. Every field the CRA and a finance team expect is on the invoice by default.
Retainers invoiced by hand every month
Set the invoice to recur. It is issued on schedule with its own number, and you find out it went out rather than remembering to send it.
Cross-province tax guesswork
Services are usually taxed on the recipient's province. CollabNorth calculates it, shows the rule it applied, and warns you when the client's province differs from yours.
The tax reality for consultants
Most consulting services are taxable supplies, and for services the place of supply generally follows the client's address — so an Ontario consultant billing an Alberta client usually charges 5% GST, not 13% HST.
If you bill clients outside Canada, the supply may be zero-rated, which still counts toward the $30,000 registration threshold even though no tax is charged.
Keep the rule you applied visible on the invoice. It saves the conversation with a client's bookkeeper who expected a different rate.
What you get
- GST, HST, QST, PST and RST handled per province
- Interac e-Transfer instructions on every invoice
- Registration numbers and CRA-required fields built in
- Automatic overdue rollover and reminders
Common questions
- Can I put a purchase order number on the invoice?
- Yes. The header has a PO or reference field, and it appears on the PDF — which is often the difference between being paid on time and being sent back to the start of an approval queue.
- How do I bill a monthly retainer?
- Set the invoice to recur monthly. It is generated and issued on schedule with the same line items and terms, and each one gets its own sequential number.
- What tax do I charge a client in another province?
- Generally the rate for the client's province, because the place of supply follows the recipient for most services. CollabNorth flags the difference and lets you override it if your situation is different.
Send your first invoice in two minutes
The Starter plan is free while CollabNorth is in Early Access. No card required.
General information only — not accounting, legal or tax advice. Confirm details with the Canada Revenue Agency or your accountant.