CN
CollabNorth

For contractors

Invoicing software for Canadian contractors

Renovation and construction billing is rarely one invoice. Deposits, change orders, progress payments and holdbacks all have to line up — and the tax has to follow the province the work is in.

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The CollabNorth invoice builder with Canadian tax lines calculated automatically
The invoice builder — header, items, tax and notes, review.

What usually goes wrong

  • Deposits taken by text message

    Money accepted without an invoice is hard to reconcile and harder to defend. Put the deposit on the accepted estimate, then invoice it so the trail exists from the first dollar.

  • Tax charged on the wrong province

    If you live in Alberta and the job is in British Columbia, the rate is not yours. CollabNorth calculates on the place of supply and warns you when the customer's province differs from your own.

  • Final invoices that do not match the estimate

    Convert the accepted estimate straight into the invoice. The deposit carries forward, the line items are already there, and the customer sees the same numbers they agreed to.

The tax reality for contractors

Construction and renovation work is generally a taxable supply, so GST/HST applies at the rate for the place of supply — 5% GST in Alberta, 13% HST in Ontario, 15% in most of Atlantic Canada, and GST plus a provincial tax in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec.

Materials you buy for the job carry input tax credits once you are registered, which is why most contractors register well before the $30,000 threshold forces them to.

British Columbia and Saskatchewan PST rules for real property contracts are their own subject — in general, contractors pay PST on materials rather than charging it to the customer. Confirm your situation with your accountant.

What you get

CollabNorth dashboard showing outstanding and overdue invoice totals
Outstanding, overdue and paid at a glance.
The customer-facing invoice page with Interac e-Transfer payment instructions
The customer view, with e-Transfer instructions.
  • 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 invoice a deposit before starting the job?
Yes. Add a required deposit to the estimate, and when the customer accepts it, the deposit invoice is created and linked. The deposit is carried forward as a deduction on the final invoice.
What if the customer is in a different province than my business?
Tax is calculated on the place of supply, which is usually where the work is done or the customer is located. CollabNorth flags the mismatch and lets you override the place of supply on the invoice.
Can I bill by milestone on a long job?
Yes. Each progress invoice is a full invoice with its own number, tax lines and due date, so an unpaid milestone is visible before you sink another month into the project.

Send your first invoice in two minutes

The Starter plan is free while CollabNorth is in Early Access. No card required.

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General information only — not accounting, legal or tax advice. Confirm details with the Canada Revenue Agency or your accountant.