Capital Regional District

A bookkeeper for Victoria small businesses

Victoria is the provincial capital and the business centre for a region of about 400,000 people, and we keep the books for its small businesses online from Port Alberni.

Who it’s for

Consultants and contractors whose work comes from government and public-sector clients
Technology and other knowledge-based small companies
Tourism, hospitality and visitor-facing businesses downtown and around the Inner Harbour
Mobile trades working across Greater Victoria on an inter-municipal licence
Sole proprietors running a home-based business under the City's home occupation rules

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

Get an estimate
About three minutes online, or call 1 (250) 731-7931.
Connect your books online
You share access to your bookkeeping software and documents securely. Nothing has to be dropped off.
Books kept current
Scope and fees confirmed in writing, then a steady monthly schedule.

Get an Estimate

Small business in Victoria

The City of Victoria's Official Community Plan describes Victoria as the headquarters of the Provincial Government, a premier tourism destination and a gateway to Vancouver Island, with an economy that mixes government, technology, tourism and commercial activity serving local residents. The City puts its own population at approximately 94,000 and calls it the economic and entertainment hub for about 400,000 people across the region.

Every business in the City of Victoria needs a business licence. Licences run from January 16 to January 15, a complete application takes about 10 working days, and zoning decides what you can operate where. A home-based licence requires that you live at the address and are the only person in the business. Mobile trades such as contractors and caterers can buy one inter-municipal licence, from the municipality where their office is, that covers 13 Greater Victoria communities.

The City's Business Hub at City Hall has a Business Ambassador who helps new owners through City processes and points them to other agencies. The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce represents roughly 1,400 member businesses and describes itself as one of the five largest chambers in the province and the oldest in Western Canada.

Working with us from Victoria

Victoria is at the south end of the Island, a long way from us by road. From Port Alberni the route is Highway 4 east to Highway 19 near Qualicum Beach, south to Nanaimo, then Highway 1 south through Ladysmith and Duncan and over the Malahat into the city. We do not offer meetings or document pickups in Victoria; our in-person work stays in the Alberni Valley.

Victoria clients work with us entirely online. You share statements and receipts through secure upload, 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 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 Victoria businesses

City of Victoria: business licensing: How to apply for a Victoria business licence, processing time and the January-to-January licence year.
City of Victoria: starting a business: The City's Business Hub, where a Business Ambassador helps new owners with City processes.
BC Government: mobile business licences: The Province's page on the Greater Victoria inter-municipal licence and its 13 participating communities.
Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce: The region's largest business association, with membership, events and advocacy for Greater Victoria businesses.

Sources

Common questions

Victoria has plenty of bookkeepers. Why work with one in Port Alberni?

Because the work is the same online wherever we sit: your books live in QuickBooks Online, Xero or Sage, documents come by secure upload, and we talk by phone or video. What you get is a small husband-and-wife team, Caleb and Madeline, who know your file.

I'm a contractor working in Saanich, Langford and Victoria. Does that change my bookkeeping?

Not the bookkeeping itself, but it is worth knowing that an inter-municipal licence, bought from the municipality where your office is, covers 13 Greater Victoria communities. We track your licence costs, vehicle expenses and job income so your GST/HST and tax filings are straightforward.

Most of my work is invoiced to public-sector clients. Can you keep track of what I am owed?

Yes. We keep your receivables current so you can see what is outstanding and how long it has been waiting, and send you a clear list to follow up on each month. Cash flow is easier to plan when you know exactly which invoices are late.

I run my business from home in Victoria. What do I need besides a licence?

For the City, a home-based licence requires that you live at the address and are the only person working in the business. On our side, we set up your books so the business share of home costs is tracked properly for your tax return.

Do you file corporate tax returns for Victoria 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 Victoria businesses

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

Get an Estimate Call 1 (250) 731-7931