What tax deductions are global e-commerce & marketplaces businesses most likely to miss?
The recurring ones are capital cost allowance on equipment placed in service late in the year, the business-use portion of vehicle and home-office costs, and professional development. Each is defensible when documented at the time and difficult to defend when reconstructed later.
How much does accounting for global e-commerce & marketplaces businesses cost?
A corporate cross-border filing starts at $999 and transfer-pricing documentation at $2,500, quoted as a fixed fee before work begins. Sector complexity does not add a surcharge. Review the full price list.
Do global e-commerce & marketplaces businesses need to register for GST/HST?
Registration is mandatory once taxable revenue exceeds $30,000 over four consecutive quarters. Registering voluntarily below that threshold is often worthwhile, because it lets you recover input tax credits on startup and equipment purchases.
Should I incorporate my global e-commerce & marketplaces business?
Incorporation usually pays off once profit consistently exceeds what you draw personally, because retained earnings are taxed at the small business rate rather than your marginal rate. Below that point the added compliance cost often outweighs the benefit. We model both before you decide.
What records do global e-commerce & marketplaces businesses need to keep?
The CRA requires six years of books and records from the end of the tax year they relate to: invoices, receipts, bank statements, payroll records and contracts. Digital copies are acceptable provided they are legible and complete.
How do you handle payroll for global e-commerce & marketplaces businesses?
We run the cycle, remit source deductions on schedule, and issue T4s ahead of the February deadline. A late remittance draws a graduated penalty of 3% to 10% depending on how many days late it is. A second or later assessment in the same calendar year can be charged at 20%, but only where the failure was knowing or grossly negligent (CRA, 2025). See our payroll service.
Can you work with my existing accountant and their software?
Yes. Most of these engagements run alongside an existing accountant: they keep the domestic file, we take the cross-border piece, and the boundary is agreed in writing. You are not required to change anythiems to become a client, and we never charge a conversion fee.
What if my global e-commerce & marketplaces business operates in more than one province?
Multi-province operations allocate taxable income by permanent establishment and payroll, and sales tax rules differ by jurisdiction. We handle the allocation schedules and the differing GST, HST, PST and QST obligations in one engagement.
When should a global e-commerce & marketplaces business register for GST/HST?
Registration becomes mandatory once taxable supplies pass $30,000 over four consecutive calendar quarters, and the obligation starts almost immediately rather than at the next year-end. Registering voluntarily below that threshold is often worthwhile when you are buying equipment, because it makes the tax on those purchases recoverable.
How long does the CRA expect a global e-commerce & marketplaces business to keep records?
Six years from the end of the tax year the records relate to. That covers invoices, receipts, bank statements, payroll records and the working papers behind the return. Records supporting the purchase of a capital asset must be kept six years past the year the asset is finally sold.
What happens if a global e-commerce & marketplaces business files late?
The late-filing penalty is 5% of the balance owing plus 1% of that balance for each full month the return is late, to a maximum of 12 months (CRA, 2025 tax year). Where the CRA has issued a demand to file and charged a late-filing penalty in any of the three preceding tax years, the penalty rises to 10% of the balance owing plus 2% for each full month, to a maximum of 20 months (CRA, 2025 tax year). Interest compounds daily from the balance-due date regardless of when the return is filed.
Can a global e-commerce & marketplaces business deduct vehicle costs?
Yes, in proportion to business use, and the logbook is what supports it. The CRA accepts a full-year log, or a three-month sample backed by a complete prior-year log. Travel between home and a regular place of work is personal; travel between work locations is business.
Should a global e-commerce & marketplaces business incorporate?
Incorporation usually pays once profit consistently exceeds what the owner draws personally, because the retained amount is taxed at small business rates rather than personal rates. Where the entire profit is withdrawn each year, incorporation often costs more in filing and compliance than it saves.
What triggers a CRA audit for a global e-commerce & marketplaces business?
Ratios that sit outside sector norms, repeated losses, large or round-numbered expense claims, and mismatches between filed slips and reported income. Most reviews are resolved on documentation alone, which is why contemporaneous records matter more than the size of any single claim.
How are employees and subcontractors treated differently for a global e-commerce & marketplaces business?
The CRA looks at control, ownership of tools, chance of profit and risk of loss rather than what the contract is titled. Where a worker is reclassified as an employee, the unremitted CPP, EI and withholding land on the payer, together with penalties and interest.
What instalments does a global e-commerce & marketplaces business have to pay?
Individuals pay quarterly instalments once net tax owing passes $3,000 — $1,800 for Quebec residents — in the current year and in either of the two preceding years (CRA, 2026). Corporations generally pay monthly, with many small CCPCs eligible for quarterly instalments instead. Basing them on a current-year estimate avoids overpaying after a strong year.
When are tax returns due in Canada for Global E-commerce & Marketplaces businesses?
For corporations in the global e-commerce & marketplaces sector, T2 tax filings are due within 6 months of the fiscal year-end. Personal returns for sole proprietors are due June 15, with balances payable by April 30.
What tax deductions are available for Global E-commerce & Marketplaces companies?
Common write-offs include operating expenses, inventory costs, technology software licenses, marketing, employee wages, home workspace allocation, and capital assets depreciation.
Why choose Legal Quotient Consultants for Global E-commerce & Marketplaces accounting?
We provide specialized cross-border compliance, corporate filing, and treaty planning on fixed fees agreed in writing before work starts.
What happens if the two countries disagree about which of them can tax me?
The treaty has a procedure for exactly that. You apply to the competent authority in your residence country, which takes the case up with its counterpart, and the two negotiate a position that removes the double taxation. Some treaties add binding arbitration if they cannot agree. It is slow and it runs on documents, so the practical work is preserving the record and filing protective claims while the clock runs. See our treaty work.
Do Canada and the United States share tax information?
Yes, through more than one channel. The treaty has an exchange-of-information article that supports both routine and on-request exchange. Separately, an intergovernmental agreement has Canadian financial institutions identify US-reportable accounts and report them to the CRA, which passes them to the IRS, with the reverse flow for Canadian residents. Most other country pairs use the Common Reporting Standard for the same purpose. See FATCA reporting.
