Amazon sellers
Start with settlements, then review costs and the Canadian tax position.
Amazon accounting services → All Amazon guides → Resources
Understand the numbers behind each e-commerce decision
Practical guides to true margin, tax obligations, cash flow, marketplace payouts, and the accounting decisions behind growth or a future sale.
Showing guides Clear filter
Browse 66 accounting guides.
No guides match these filters. Try another search or clear the filters.
Start with your platform
Amazon and Shopify reading paths
Shopify sellers
Follow orders through the payment processors, tax balances, and margins.
Shopify accounting services → All Shopify guides →Kickstarter creators: campaign payouts, production costs, and fulfillment cash flow →
Walmart, Etsy, eBay, Meta sales channels, Kickstarter campaigns, and multi-platform operations are also covered in the topic library below.
Margins & true cost
What you actually made after fees, ad spend, duties, and COGS. Use these guides when the platform dashboard looks profitable but the real margin is unclear.
09 guides
-
How to Calculate True Amazon FBA Profitability (After All Fees)
Amazon's dashboard figures do not reflect actual profit. Here are the five cost layers every FBA seller needs to track to get to a true per-unit margin.
-
Blended SKU and Bundle Margin Analysis for Multi-Product Sellers
A healthy store-wide average margin can hide SKUs and bundles losing money on every unit. Here is how to find them.
-
Free Shipping and Shipping Cost Allocation: The Hidden Margin Killer
Free shipping is never actually free. Here is how to allocate the real cost per order and per SKU instead of burying it in a general expense line.
-
eBay True Profitability After Final Value Fees and Promoted Listings
eBay's payout figure is already net of fees, but sellers still misjudge margin when Promoted Listings ad cost is not tied to individual sales.
-
COGS Timing for E-Commerce Sellers
COGS belongs in the period the inventory sells, not the period it was purchased. Getting the timing wrong distorts every monthly margin figure.
-
Shopify True Profitability After Apps, Payment Fees, and Ad Spend
Shopify's gross sales figure hides app subscriptions, payment processing fees, and ad spend, all of which need to be tracked to see per-order profit.
-
Advertising Spend and True Profitability for Canadian E-Commerce Sellers
Ad spend is a cost, but most sellers can't trace what it costs to acquire each order or which channel is actually profitable after advertising.
-
Landed Cost for Canadian E-Commerce Sellers
The invoice price is not your cost. Landed cost adds duties, brokerage, freight, and import GST/HST to build the figure that drives accurate COGS.
-
Etsy Fee Breakdown for Canadian Sellers: True Margin After Fees and Ads
Etsy deposits do not show true profit. A Canadian seller guide to fees, ads, GST/HST, shipping, refunds, and per-order margin.
Taxes & compliance
GST/HST, marketplace facilitator rules, input tax credits, US sales tax, EU and UK VAT, and the records that support the filing position.
27 guides
-
Corporate Tax Instalments for Canadian E-commerce Companies
When a Canadian e-commerce corporation may need tax instalments, why last year's amount can mislead, and how to plan payments with seasonal cash flow.
-
How Much Cash Should an Incorporated E-commerce Owner Reserve for Tax?
A practical way to estimate corporate tax, GST/HST, instalments, and owner tax before treating the bank balance as available cash.
-
Do Inventory Purchases Reduce Taxable Income for an E-commerce Business?
Why buying stock usually does not create an immediate deduction, how cost of goods sold works, and what Canadian sellers should plan before year-end.
-
Digital Platform Reporting Rules and CRA Seller Income Verification
Qualifying platforms report seller activity to CRA. Scope, seller exclusions, and reported amounts matter when reconciling marketplace records.
-
GST/HST for Multi-Platform Canadian E-Commerce Sellers
Selling on multiple platforms changes your GST/HST position in ways no single platform surfaces. What Canadian multi-platform sellers need to know.
-
GST/HST Registration Timing and the $30,000 Small Supplier Threshold
GST/HST timing differs for single-quarter and cumulative-quarter threshold crossings. Review the effective date before changing tax settings.
-
T1135 for Sellers with US Marketplace or Payment Accounts
A US-based Amazon Seller Central payout account or a foreign payment processor balance can count toward the CAD $100,000 T1135 threshold.
-
US Sales Tax Nexus for Canadian E-Commerce Sellers
Amazon collects tax on marketplace sales, but that does not resolve your nexus obligations. Here is what Canadian sellers need to understand.
-
Voluntary Disclosures for Unreported Marketplace Income
Unreported marketplace income may qualify for CRA disclosure relief. Prompted applications, audit exclusions, and GST/HST rules need separate assessment.
-
E-Commerce Year-End Income Tax: Preparing the T1 or T2
Gathering your documents is one step. Here is what happens to revenue, inventory, and owner transactions once they reach the actual tax return.
-
GST/HST on Meta Ads, Google Ads, and Foreign E-Commerce Software
The ad platform charge and the tax invoice do not always match. What Canadian sellers need to know about GST/HST on ads, apps, and foreign software.
-
GST/HST Return Reconciliation for Canadian E-Commerce Sellers
A GST/HST return built from gross sales alone is wrong. What has to reconcile across platforms, refunds, and ITCs before a return is filed.
-
Year-End Tax Document Checklist for E-Commerce Sellers
A platform payout is not a tax document. Here is the complete set of records an e-commerce seller's year-end file actually needs to be complete.
-
Amazon FBA US Inventory and State Nexus Exposure
Amazon spreads FBA inventory across US warehouses a seller does not choose. That distribution creates physical sales tax nexus in every state it touches.
-
QST for Quebec E-Commerce Sellers
Quebec runs QST separately from GST/HST. Registration, the specified registration system for remote sellers, and marketplace collection all differ.
-
Import Duties, Brokerage, and Customs Documents for Canadian E-Commerce Sellers
Landed cost is the accounting side of importing. This guide covers the CBSA side: import accounts, broker authority, proof of origin, and record retention.
-
Print-on-Demand Accounting for Canadian Sellers
POD has two different business models: seller-controlled production cost, or marketplace royalty income. Confusing them misstates revenue and GST/HST.
-
Provincial Sales Tax for Canadian E-Commerce Sellers: BC PST, Saskatchewan PST, and Manitoba RST
BC PST, Saskatchewan PST, and Manitoba RST can apply to Shopify and direct e-commerce sales. Marketplace facilitators may collect.
-
Dropshipping Accounting for Canadian Sellers
How to record revenue, COGS, and GST/HST when you never hold inventory. Dropshipping accounting for Canadian sellers across platforms.
-
GST/HST Input Tax Credits for Canadian E-Commerce Sellers
ITCs recover the GST/HST you paid on business inputs. Eligible expenses, documentation thresholds, and the quick method trade-off for Canadian sellers.
-
eBay GST/HST and Marketplace Facilitator Rules for Canadian Sellers
eBay collects Canadian sales taxes on applicable sales. Registration changes your legal role, records, and billing-agent treatment.
-
Etsy GST/HST and Marketplace Facilitator Rules for Canadian Sellers
Etsy acts as a marketplace facilitator under Canada's platform rules. Whether Etsy remits GST/HST or you do depends on your registration status.
-
UK VAT for Canadian E-Commerce Sellers
UK VAT is separate from EU VAT. For Canadian sellers, the rules differ by channel, order value, and whether goods are stored in the UK.
-
Shopify GST/HST and Tax Settings for Canadian Stores
Shopify configures and displays tax at checkout. The obligation to remit it belongs to you. What Canadian Shopify sellers need to configure and why.
-
EU VAT and OSS/IOSS for Canadian E-Commerce Sellers
Most Canadian sellers assume EU marketplaces handle VAT. For some orders, they do. Here is what happens to the rest.
-
Cross-Border Compliance Hub for Canadian E-Commerce Sellers
Selling into the US, EU, or UK creates tax obligations beyond what marketplaces handle. Here is what Canadian sellers need to track by jurisdiction.
-
Amazon GST/HST for Canadian Sellers: What You Owe and When
Amazon collecting GST/HST does not eliminate your compliance obligations. What registered and unregistered Canadian sellers need to know.
Cash & inventory
Why inventory eats cash, how payout timing creates gaps, and the operating rhythm that keeps decisions readable month to month.
11 guides
-
Accounting Profit vs. Cash Available to an E-commerce Owner
Why a profitable Amazon or Shopify company may have little cash available after inventory, sales tax, debt, and owner tax obligations.
-
Marketplace Loans and Seller Financing for Canadian E-Commerce Sellers
Amazon Lending and Shopify Capital repay from your payouts. Booked wrong, that repayment looks like a revenue drop instead of debt repayment.
-
Seasonal Cash Flow Planning: Financing Q4 Inventory Builds
Suppliers are paid in August and September. Payouts arrive in November through January. Here is how to size and plan for the Q4 cash gap.
-
Inventory Write-Downs and Obsolete Stock
Slow-moving and unsellable inventory still sits on the balance sheet at full cost until a seller actually writes it down to what it is worth.
-
3PL, Warehousing, and Fulfillment Cost Accounting
Storage, pick-and-pack, and receiving fees from a 3PL split between COGS and operating expense. Booking all of it to one account hides per-unit margin.
-
Inventory Costing Methods: FIFO vs Weighted Average
The costing method used to value inventory changes gross margin, COGS, and taxable income when unit costs shift between purchase batches.
-
Chart of Accounts Setup for E-Commerce Sellers
A generic bookkeeping chart of accounts cannot show true margin. E-commerce sellers need accounts built around platform fees, COGS, and inventory.
-
Foreign Exchange and Multi-Currency Payouts for Canadian E-Commerce Sellers
USD deposits and multi-currency payouts may convert to CAD at different times. The exchange rate used and timing of recognition both matter.
-
When an E-Commerce Seller Outgrows Basic Monthly Accounting
Basic bookkeeping tracks cash. It does not track inventory, COGS, platform fee layers, or SKU-level margin. Here is how to know when you have hit the wall.
-
Month-End Close Checklist for Marketplace Sellers
Most marketplace sellers close the month when the bank balance looks right. A proper month-end close is a different process.
-
Inventory as a Cash Flow Problem: Why Healthy Margins Are Not Enough
A profitable e-commerce business can run out of cash. Here is how inventory purchasing creates a cash gap, how payouts extend it, and what to track.
Platforms & payouts
Marketplace and Kickstarter payouts: what the deposits mean and how to reconcile them to the underlying activity.
15 guides
-
Kickstarter Accounting for Canadian Creators
Connect Kickstarter payouts, printing and merchandise costs, inventory, tax questions, and fulfillment cash flow in one Canadian accounting file.
-
Payment Processor Reconciliation for Canadian E-Commerce Sellers
Shopify Payments, PayPal, Stripe, and Shop Pay each settle differently underneath your platform payouts. Here is how to reconcile each layer to the bank.
-
Etsy Payouts Report Reconciliation
Etsy deposits net of listing fees, transaction fees, Offsite Ads, and shipping labels. Here is how to reconcile the payout to the bank.
-
Meta Shops (Facebook and Instagram) Accounting for Canadian Sellers
Facebook and Instagram Shops usually sit on top of an existing storefront, not a separate payment processor. Here is how the accounting actually works.
-
Shopify Gift Cards, Store Credit, Preorders, and Subscription Revenue
Cash received is not always revenue. How to account for Shopify gift cards, store credit, preorders, and subscription billing correctly.
-
How to Reconstruct Historical E-Commerce Books Before a Cleanup or Disclosure
When books are missing, incomplete, or unreliable, ordinary bookkeeping cannot fix them. What reconstruction requires before a cleanup or disclosure.
-
Faire and Wholesale Marketplace Accounting for Canadian Makers
Faire settles net of commission and shipping subsidy on its own schedule, and wholesale sales carry different GST/HST and COGS mechanics than retail.
-
Selling Simultaneously on Amazon.ca and Amazon.com
Selling on both Amazon marketplaces means two settlement currencies, two nexus pictures, and one seller trying to see a combined margin.
-
eBay Managed Payments Reconciliation for Canadian Sellers
eBay Managed Payments bundles fees, holds, and refunds into one payout figure, which makes reconciling the deposit to the books harder than it looks.
-
Returns, Refunds, Chargebacks, and Reimbursements for Canadian E-Commerce Sellers
A refund is not just a reversed sale. The tax treatment, journal entry, and platform mechanics differ across returns, chargebacks, and reimbursements.
-
Amazon Settlement Report Reconciliation for Canadian Sellers
Amazon deposits less than gross sales every settlement period. Here is what each category in the settlement report means and how to reconcile it.
-
Inventory Reconciliation for Marketplace Sellers
When physical units and accounting records disagree, the gap shows up in COGS, gross margin, and cash. Here is how to close it.
-
Walmart Marketplace Accounting for Canadian Sellers
Walmart Canada pays bi-weekly and deducts referral fees before the deposit. Here is how Canadian sellers should record revenue, fees, and GST/HST.
-
Multi-Channel Reconciliation: Amazon, Shopify, and Walmart
Three platforms, three payout schedules, three fee structures. Here is how to reconcile each deposit to actual revenue, fees, and tax collected.
-
How to Read a Shopify Payouts Report
The amount that lands in your bank account from Shopify is not your revenue. Learn what each component means and how to reconcile it correctly.
Structure & growth
Incorporation, new channel launches, financing, and preparing the books for a sale. The accounting decisions that shape what the business becomes.
04 guides
-
Salary, Dividends, and Shareholder Withdrawals for E-commerce Owners
How incorporated Canadian sellers can distinguish salary, dividends, reimbursements, and shareholder advances before taking money from the company.
-
New Channel Launch Accounting Checklist
Adding a new sales channel changes the chart of accounts, tax registration, and reconciliation workflow before the first sale even settles.
-
Preparing E-Commerce Books for Financing, Acquisition, or Investor Review
A lender or buyer's due diligence checklist looks nothing like a monthly close checklist. What e-commerce books need before outside review.
-
Should I Incorporate as a Canadian E-Commerce Seller
Incorporation changes tax rate, liability, and bookkeeping requirements for e-commerce sellers. Here is what actually changes and when it is worth it.
Downloadable tools
Templates built from the reconciliation work in the guides above. No form required.
-
Marketplace Settlement Reconciliation Worksheet
A channel-neutral worksheet for reconciling gross sales, fees, refunds, reserves, and payouts to the bank deposit across Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, eBay, and Walmart.
-
Inventory and Cash-Flow Forecast Template
A monthly forecast template for purchase order costs, deposit due dates, lead times, reorder triggers, and GST/HST remittance timing against expected payouts.
Question not covered?
Some questions are better answered against the actual records
If the guides do not match your situation, send the channels you sell on, the reporting issue, and the period you need reviewed. No platform credentials or tax documents are needed at this stage.
Discuss your tax and accounting position