QuickBooks Online is the accounting system we recommend first to most Canadian small businesses, and we rate it 4.5 out of 5. The reason is simple: it is the only major cloud accounting tool that sells its own Canadian payroll in the same account, it prepares GST/HST and QST returns, and it has a French setting. Keep in mind the per-user plan caps, the payroll add-on, and the price step from EasyStart (CAD $30) to Plus ($110).

This review is for Canadian owners who want to know what QuickBooks Online actually costs in CAD, which plan they need, and what it does (and does not do) for sales tax, payroll, and Quebec. It is a companion to our best accounting software in Canada roundup, where QuickBooks Online is our top pick.

How we evaluated

This is a research-based review. We did not use QuickBooks Online hands-on: we did not open a company file, connect a bank, or run a pay run. Every price, limit, and feature below comes from Intuit's Canadian pricing and plan pages, its Canadian payroll pages, and its Canadian help centre, checked in September 2026. Tax filing rules come from the CRA.

We looked at what a Canadian business needs from its accounting software:

  • Monthly cost in CAD at regular list price, user limits, and what each plan includes
  • Bank feeds and statement imports
  • GST/HST, PST, and QST returns, and how filing works
  • USD and other foreign currency support
  • Payroll for Canadian employers, including Quebec
  • French language support, accountant access, and cancellation terms

Prices are regular monthly list prices before GST/HST. Promotions are noted separately. Sales tax and payroll information here is general, not tax advice; an accountant can confirm how your business should set things up.

Pricing in Canada

QuickBooks Online Canada has five plans, priced in CAD: Lite at $20/month, EasyStart at $30, Essentials at $70, Plus at $110, and Advanced at $220. Intuit's main pricing page shows EasyStart, Plus, and Advanced side by side, and lists Lite further down under "More ways to get started" for solo and freelance businesses, with the details on Lite's own plan page. Essentials is still sold, with its own plan page and the same promotion, but the main pricing page does not show it.

FeatureLiteEasyStartEssentialsPlusAdvanced
Price (CAD/month)$20$30$70$110$220
Paid yearly (CAD/year)Not listed$324$756$1,188$2,376
Users113525
Accountant access
Bank connections2UnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
Receipt captureNot listed
Bill management
Multicurrency
Inventory (FIFO)
Classes and locationsUp to 40Unlimited
Payroll add-on
QuickBooks Online Canada plans at regular list price in CAD, before GST/HST, September 2026. Swipe the table to see all 5 tools.

Your accountant does not count toward the user limit from EasyStart up. Advanced adds a custom report builder, workflow automation, batch invoices and expenses, Excel data sync, backup and restore, and priority support.

Intuit's pricing page says annual billing typically saves about 10% over a year, which matches the yearly prices above. You can switch between monthly and annual billing only once in any 12-month period.

Two more pricing notes. Intuit's Canadian help centre has an article on subscription price updates, updated in September 2026, which says existing customers are told of changes by email and that a promotional discount runs until it expires, then moves to the then-current list price. It does not give Canadian amounts or dates. And Intuit's own Canadian plan guide, dated April 2025, listed EasyStart from $24 and Plus from $80 a month, so older price quotes you find online may be out of date.

Which QuickBooks plan fits which business?

Most small businesses doing full bookkeeping land on EasyStart or Essentials. Plus is for inventory or more than three users.

  • Lite (CAD $20): a freelancer who only needs invoices, expenses, mileage, and sales tax tracking. Two bank connections, five report templates, no accountant login, and no payroll.
  • EasyStart (CAD $30): a sole owner who wants full bookkeeping, unlimited bank connections, 30+ report templates, and an accountant login. Payroll can be added.
  • Essentials (CAD $70): up to three users, bill management, time entry, and multicurrency. The cheapest QuickBooks plan for a USD account.
  • Plus (CAD $110): up to five users, inventory tracking with purchase orders, budgets, project profitability, and classes and locations.
  • Advanced (CAD $220): up to 25 users, custom roles, and automation for larger teams.

Bank feeds and statement imports

Every plan connects to your bank. Lite includes two connections, and from EasyStart up, connections are unlimited.

Intuit's Canadian help centre says that once an account is connected, QuickBooks imports your transactions daily. How far back the first download goes depends on the bank: some allow 90 days, others up to 24 months.

If your bank will not connect, you can upload statement files instead. Intuit lists .csv, .txt, .qbo, and .ofx files (it suggests a QBO file, and also mentions QFX), with each upload limited to 350 KB and 1,000 transactions.

The Canadian help pages we checked do not publish a list of supported Canadian banks. Search for your bank during the free trial before you commit.

How does QuickBooks handle GST/HST, PST, and QST?

QuickBooks calculates sales tax on your transactions and prepares the return for each tax agency you set up. It does not file the return for you.

Intuit's help centre says QuickBooks keeps track of your province's sales tax rules to calculate tax and returns. When you add a provincial tax agency, you enter your PST number and filing frequency. For Quebec, QuickBooks has a GST/QST detail report.

Filing is manual. Intuit's help article on filing sales tax says: "As of April 21, 2020, QuickBooks Online no longer supports e-filing sales tax payments." Its GST/HST steps tell you to copy the amounts from your QuickBooks return into GST/HST NETFILE, CRA My Business Account, or Represent a Client if you are an accountant. You also pay the CRA outside QuickBooks, then record the payment in QuickBooks.

That step matters because the CRA requires most GST/HST registrants to file electronically for reporting periods beginning in 2024 or later. Copying a few lines from QuickBooks into NETFILE satisfies that; the submission itself is a step you complete.

If you are not registered yet, start with our GST/HST registration guide, and check GST/HST and PST rates by province or our sales tax calculator.

Can QuickBooks handle a USD account?

Yes, from Essentials at CAD $70/month. Lite and EasyStart do not include multicurrency. Plus and Advanced do.

Intuit's Canadian help centre lists three points to know before you switch it on:

  • Once multicurrency is on, you cannot turn it off or change your home currency.
  • QuickBooks Payments is not compatible with multicurrency.
  • Turning it on disables the cash flow planner.

If a USD account is your only reason to upgrade, compare Essentials with Zoho Books Professional (C$35/month) and Xero Premium (CAD $80/month) in our accounting software roundup and Xero vs QuickBooks comparison.

QuickBooks Payroll in Canada

Payroll is the main reason QuickBooks ranks first in our roundup. It is an add-on to EasyStart and higher plans, so your pay runs and your books sit in one account.

FeatureCorePremiumElite
Base price (CAD/month)$30$55$80
Per employee (CAD/month)$5$8$15
E-file and remit to CRA and Revenu Québec
T4 and RL-1 slips, ROEs
Direct deposit2-dayNext-day optionNext-day option
Time tracking
QuickBooks Payroll Canada add-on at regular list price in CAD, September 2026.

Intuit's payroll page says QuickBooks can e-file and remit payroll taxes with the CRA or Revenu Québec from inside QuickBooks, prepares T4 and RL-1 forms, and generates Records of Employment when an employee has an interruption of earnings. Intuit's offer terms say the employee fee is billed on active employees at the start of each month.

Here is what that means in practice. A business with three employees on EasyStart and Payroll Core pays CAD $30 + $30 + $15 = $75 a month at regular prices. The six-month payroll promotion discounts only the base fee, not the per-employee fees.

If you would rather keep payroll separate, see our Wagepoint vs QuickBooks Payroll comparison and the best payroll software in Canada.

French, your accountant, and cancelling

French: Intuit's Canadian help centre says you can use QuickBooks Online in English or French, set in the Advanced tab of Account and settings. Invoices can also be sent in French for each customer, though QuickBooks does not translate your own text such as product names. The payroll page notes that some features may be available in English only.

Your accountant: EasyStart and higher plans include access for your accountant, who does not count toward your user limit. Lite does not include accountant access. Ask your accountant whether they already work in QuickBooks, since many Canadian firms do and it can shorten year-end work.

Cancelling: monthly plans have no contract. Intuit's terms say a cancellation takes effect at the end of the billing period, with no prorated refund. On annual billing, cancelling within the 12 months gets no refund, but you keep access until the year ends, and the plan otherwise renews at the then-current price.

QuickBooks Desktop: Intuit's Canadian pricing page says Desktop is no longer available to new subscribers in Canada, and support for Desktop 2023 and older ended after May 31, 2026. If you are still on Desktop, QuickBooks Online is Intuit's replacement.

What we like and what to know

QuickBooks Online's strengths are payroll in the same account, Quebec and French support, and a plan for almost every size of business. Keep in mind the per-user caps, the add-on costs, and that you submit sales tax returns to the CRA or Revenu Québec yourself.

QuickBooks Online

Strengths

  • Own Canadian payroll add-on that e-files and remits to the CRA and Revenu Québec
  • T4s, RL-1s, and ROEs prepared in the same account as your books
  • GST/HST return prepared line by line, plus QST reporting for Quebec
  • English or French interface setting
  • Multicurrency from Essentials at CAD $70/month
  • Accountant access from EasyStart, not counted as a user
  • 30-day free trial with no credit card

Good to know

  • Includes 1, 3, 5, or 25 users depending on plan
  • Inventory starts on Plus at CAD $110, the next step up from EasyStart at $30 for that feature
  • Payroll is an add-on from CAD $30/month plus per-employee fees
  • GST/HST and QST returns are prepared in QuickBooks and submitted by you to the CRA or Revenu Québec
  • Lite includes 2 bank connections; accountant access starts on EasyStart
  • Essentials is sold through its own plan page rather than the main pricing page

QuickBooks Online

4.5

Why we rate it 4.5

QuickBooks Online earns 4.5 because it covers more Canadian needs in one account than any other tool we reviewed: Canadian payroll with CRA and Revenu Québec remittances, GST/HST and QST returns, a French setting, and multicurrency from CAD $70. That matches its first-place rating in our accounting software roundup.

It rates 4.5 rather than 5 for three reasons. You still file your sales tax returns yourself. Growing teams move up to CAD $110 or $220 a month as they add users, while Xero charges no per-user fees. And payroll, the feature that sets it apart, adds CAD $30 or more per month plus per-employee fees.

Who QuickBooks Online is for (and when another tool fits better)

QuickBooks Online fits Canadian employers, Quebec businesses, and anyone whose accountant already works in it.

QuickBooks Online is a good fit if you:

  • Have employees and want payroll, T4s, and ROEs in the same system as your books
  • Run a business in Quebec or work in French
  • Need a USD account and have three or fewer people in the books (Essentials)
  • Track inventory with purchase orders and FIFO costing (Plus and up)

Another tool may fit better if you:

  • Need more than five people in the books but not Advanced features. Xero charges no per-user fees.
  • Only send invoices and bill for your time. FreshBooks or Wave may be simpler and cheaper.
  • Want to spend nothing. Wave and Zoho Books have free plans.

Alternatives

The closest alternatives are Xero for larger teams, Wave for a free start, FreshBooks for service businesses that bill by the hour, and Sage for a bilingual interface.

Our verdict

4.5

QuickBooks Online is the best all-round accounting system for Canadian small businesses, especially employers and Quebec businesses. Payroll with CRA and Revenu Québec remittances, T4s, RL-1s, and ROEs lives in the same account as your books, it prepares GST/HST and QST returns, and it works in French. Most sole owners should start on EasyStart at CAD $30/month; pick Essentials at $70 for a USD account or up to three users, and Plus at $110 only if you need inventory or five users. Budget for the regular price, not the promotion, and plan to file your sales tax returns yourself.

Frequently asked questions

How much does QuickBooks Online cost in Canada?

QuickBooks bills Canadian plans in CAD. The regular monthly prices are Lite $20, EasyStart $30, Essentials $70, Plus $110, and Advanced $220, before GST/HST. Paying yearly costs $324, $756, $1,188, or $2,376 a year for EasyStart through Advanced. In September 2026 Intuit was offering 90% off for six months if you buy without a trial, after which the regular price applies.

Does QuickBooks Online file my GST/HST return with the CRA?

No. QuickBooks prepares the return and shows the amounts line by line, but Intuit's help centre says QuickBooks Online stopped e-filing sales tax on April 21, 2020. You copy the figures into GST/HST NETFILE, My Business Account, or Represent a Client, and pay the CRA outside QuickBooks. Quebec businesses file through Revenu Québec with clicSÉQUR.

Can I use QuickBooks Online in French?

Yes. Intuit's Canadian help centre says you can choose English or French in the Advanced tab of Account and settings. You can also set French as the invoice language for each customer. The payroll page notes that some product features may be available in English only.

Which QuickBooks plan do I need for a USD bank account?

Essentials at CAD $70/month is the cheapest plan with multicurrency. Plus and Advanced include it too; Lite and EasyStart do not. Intuit warns that once multicurrency is on, you cannot turn it off or change your home currency, and that QuickBooks Payments is not compatible with multicurrency.

How much is QuickBooks Payroll in Canada?

Payroll is an add-on to EasyStart and higher plans. Core is CAD $30/month plus $5 per employee, Premium is $55 plus $8 per employee, and Elite is $80 plus $15 per employee. All three e-file and remit payroll taxes to the CRA or Revenu Québec and prepare T4 and RL-1 slips and Records of Employment.

Can I cancel QuickBooks Online at any time?

Monthly plans have no contract. Intuit's terms say a cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period, with no prorated refund. If you pay yearly, cancelling during the 12 months gets no refund, but you keep access until the year ends.

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