xBoox

Configure GST/HST tracking

Choose whether the Workspace tracks Canadian sales tax and set the primary province used for available tax codes.

Configure the Workspace

  1. Open Settings > Business Profile.
  2. Find Sales Tax.
  3. Enable or disable GST/HST tracking.
  4. When tracking is enabled, choose the primary province.
  5. Review Setup Impact and save the Business Profile.

The saved setting affects Tax choices in Expenses, Income, Bank Transactions, and supported Journal Entry adjustments, and controls whether GST/HST reports appear.

When tracking is enabled, xBoox also creates or restores the managed GST/HST control accounts required by the Workspace. A manually inactive account remains inactive. If a custom account already uses a required managed number or system identity, xBoox blocks the change and asks the Owner to resolve the conflict; it does not overwrite or renumber the custom account.

For managed expense categories, the primary province also supplies a starter Tax code suggestion. Ontario taxable categories generally use HST 13%; Alberta uses GST 5%; and British Columbia uses the category's GST-only or GST/PST starter treatment (for example, Meals and vehicle fuel are GST-only). This is a starting suggestion, not proof of the tax on a particular purchase.

For a category that commonly contains a mix of services and goods, xBoox uses the lower federal-only starter treatment where the province has a separate sales tax. In British Columbia, this means Legal & Accounting, Cleaning and Repairs, Office Expense & Supplies, Software & Subscriptions, and similar mixed categories start with GST 5%. If the receipt also shows PST, use GST/PST 12% for that transaction. HST provinces use the applicable local HST code instead.

Travel has no automatic Tax suggestion. Travel can include airfare, meals, accommodation, fees, and purchases made in different places. Select the Tax treatment shown by the supporting receipt before saving or posting.

When tracking is enabled

  • Choose the applicable Tax code on each transaction.
  • Review the calculated Tax Amount CAD.
  • Override the amount only when the supported transaction workflow allows it and the source information requires it.
  • Use GST/HST Summary and Detail to review recorded amounts.
  • On the managed GST/HST Payable account in a Journal Entry, you may explicitly

classify the entered line amount as collected tax on Line 103 or an ITC on Line 106. xBoox does not calculate that Journal Entry amount for you.

  • For a receipt or paid invoice, use the tax printed on the document even when

the category suggestion is different. Changing the province refreshes managed starter defaults for future bookkeeping; custom categories and explicit non-exempt user choices are preserved.

When tracking is disabled

  • New transactions use Out of Scope treatment with zero tax.
  • The Tax field may remain visible but locked to Out of Scope.
  • GST/HST report navigation is hidden.
  • Journal Entry Sales Tax is locked to Out of Scope.

Important boundaries

xBoox records and summarizes sales-tax data. It does not:

  • file a GST/HST return;
  • track filed and unfiled return periods;
  • record remittance or refund settlement status;
  • guarantee that a selected tax treatment is correct for a specific purchase or sale.

Consult an accountant when the correct tax treatment is uncertain.

Exempt, Zero-Rated, and Out of Scope

These choices all calculate zero tax, but they mean different things:

  • Exempt — the supply is inside the GST/HST system but the law exempts it.

Typical examples include many financial services and interest income. An exempt purchase does not create an input tax credit.

  • Zero-Rated — the supply is taxable at 0%. Examples can include qualifying

exports and other supplies specifically zero-rated by the CRA. A zero-rated sale is not the same as an exempt sale.

  • Out of Scope — the activity is not a purchase or sale subject to

GST/HST. Examples include a transfer between accounts, a credit-card payment, an income-tax instalment, shareholder-loan movement, and owner funding.

Use the receipt or source document rather than guessing from the Category name. For example, a monthly bank fee is normally Out of Scope, while interest income is normally Exempt. A Category default is an entry aid, not a tax determination.

Important rules

  • GST/HST registration is independent of Sole Proprietor or Corporation status.
  • Changing the Workspace tax profile changes future available choices; historical transactions retain saved tax snapshots.
  • Only the Workspace Owner can change tax settings.

If the Business Profile cannot save Sales Tax

  • When Registered is selected, choose a valid Primary Province or Territory before saving.
  • When the province changes, confirm the reset of tax-code defaults for new bookkeeping. Historical transaction tax snapshots are not rewritten.
  • Use the dialog's Help Center button for the exact recovery steps.

Resolve a Workspace Health Check message

Workspace Health Check can report that GST/HST is Registered while the saved Primary Province / Territory is missing or invalid. This is an advisory message and does not change the Workspace or prevent access.

  1. Select Open Business Profile in the message.
  2. In Settings > Business Profile, find Sales Tax.
  3. Confirm that Registered reflects the business's actual status.
  4. Choose the applicable Primary Province / Territory.
  5. Save the Business Profile.

Select Help Center to keep these instructions open in a new tab. Select Continue to close the message without making a change. xBoox does not automatically select British Columbia or any other province.