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Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District

A bookkeeper for Ucluelet businesses

Ucluelet's economy rests on its working harbour and its visitors, and we keep the books for businesses on both sides of that online from Port Alberni.

Who it’s for

  • Commercial fishing and seafood processing businesses tied to the harbour
  • Sport-fishing guides and boat-based tourism operators using the harbour and its boat launch
  • Accommodation, food service and retail businesses that depend on visitors
  • Home-based businesses, which need a Ucluelet licence too
  • Seasonal operators who hire staff for the summer and need payroll and T4s done properly

What’s included

  • Monthly bookkeeping, from $150/month, with each package’s capacity stated up front
  • Catch-up and clean-up for months or years of outstanding books
  • Payroll, remittances, T4s and Records of Employment
  • GST/HST prepared and filed on your reporting period
  • Personal tax returns for individuals, couples and sole proprietors

How it works

  1. Get an estimate

    About three minutes online, or call 1 (250) 731-7931.

  2. Connect your books online

    You share access to your bookkeeping software and documents securely. Nothing has to be dropped off.

  3. Books kept current

    Scope and fees confirmed in writing, then a steady monthly schedule.

Get an Estimate

Small business in Ucluelet

The District of Ucluelet describes tourism and harbour-related industries as the twin pillars of its economy. Using 2016 Census data, the District reports that 18% of jobs based in Ucluelet were in fishing, aquaculture and seafood processing, and 44% were in sectors closely tied to tourism: accommodation, food services, retail, and arts, entertainment and recreation. The District calls its Small Craft Harbour a true working harbour on the outskirts of Barkley Sound.

Ucluelet's business licence bylaw covers commercial, industrial, home-based and non-resident businesses alike, and licences are renewed every year for a term running from May 1 to April 30. You apply with the District's form in person, by mail or by email, and the District also publishes a Starting a Business in Ucluelet guide that walks through the steps, from registering a name to tax accounts and WorkSafeBC coverage.

The Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce is a non-partisan business organization that supports local events such as the Pacific Rim Whale Festival, Ukee Days and the Edge to Edge Marathon, and sponsors a Business of the Year award. Community Futures Alberni-Clayoquot, based in Port Alberni, lists Ucluelet in its service area for small business financing and support.

Working with us from Ucluelet

Ucluelet is west of us along Highway 4, which Parks Canada describes as a steep, twisting road that takes at least 90 minutes from Port Alberni. The highway runs past Sproat Lake, over Sutton Pass and along Kennedy Lake to the Tofino-Ucluelet junction, where Ucluelet is the short spur to the south. There is no ferry or gravel stretch on the way, but it is a long enough drive that we do not offer visits or pickups in Ucluelet; our in-person work stays in the Alberni Valley.

Ucluelet clients work with us online. You upload statements and receipts securely, AutoEntry captures receipts from your phone, we keep your QuickBooks Online, Xero or Sage file current, and we talk by phone or video. Payroll, GST/HST filing, catch-up work and personal tax returns all run the same way.

We are based in Port Alberni. See bookkeeping in Port Alberni for more about us, or how our pricing works.

Useful local resources for Ucluelet businesses

Sources

Common questions

I run a fishing or charter business out of Ucluelet harbour. Can you handle its uneven income?

Yes. Catches, charters and seasons do not arrive in tidy monthly amounts, so we keep the books current through the busy stretch and reconcile everything so the quiet months make sense too. That gives you clear figures for GST/HST filing and your tax return.

My business is home-based in Ucluelet. Do I still need a licence?

The District's bylaw says yes: it applies to commercial, industrial, home-based and non-resident businesses. The licence itself comes from the District office, and we record the fee in your books like any other business expense.

I hire extra staff every summer. Can you run payroll for a crew that changes size?

Yes. We run payroll, make the source deduction remittances, and issue ROEs when seasonal staff finish and T4s at year end. The payroll is an add-on, quoted with your package based on your payroll.

Can we meet when I'm in Port Alberni for supplies?

Our in-person meetings are for clients who live and work in the Alberni Valley. For a Ucluelet business we work online, by secure upload, phone and video, which also means you are not waiting on a trip over the highway to get anything done.

Do you file corporate tax returns for Ucluelet companies?

We are bookkeepers, not accountants. We prepare personal tax returns ourselves, while corporate returns go through our retained accountant and are quoted separately.

Related services and guides

Bookkeeping for Ucluelet businesses

Get an estimate in about three minutes, or call 1 (250) 731-7931.

Get an EstimateCall 1 (250) 731-7931