Best Sales Tax Software for Canadian Sellers (2026)
The best GST/HST and PST software for Canadian online sellers in 2026: GoodVat, Zamp, Shopify Tax, Stripe Tax, QuickBooks and Avalara on filing and price.
TL;DR: most sales tax software is built for the US and treats Canada as an add-on. For a Canadian online store, what matters is whether a tool files your GST/HST, PST and QST returns, or only calculates tax at checkout. The best options for Canadian sellers in 2026:
- GoodVat: best overall. GST/HST, PST, QST and US sales tax, every channel, with registration and filing by Canadian accountant partners. Free up to 50 transactions/month, then from $20/month.
- Zamp: best fully managed service, now covering all 13 provinces and territories. Flat annual fee, by quote.
- Shopify Tax: best for checkout calculation on Shopify only. Free until CA$100,000 in global sales.
- Stripe Tax: best if every payment runs through Stripe. 0.5% of volume.
- QuickBooks Online: best for preparing the GST/HST return yourself from your books.
- Avalara: best for large businesses with a tax team. By quote.
| Software | GST/HST at checkout | PST and QST | Files Canadian returns | US sales tax | Entry price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GoodVat | Yes | Yes | Yes, via Canadian accountant partners | Yes | Free, then $20/mo |
| Zamp | Yes | Yes | Yes, fully managed | Yes | Flat annual fee, quote |
| Shopify Tax | Yes, Shopify only | Yes | No | Yes | Free to CA$100k, then 0.25%/Canadian order |
| Stripe Tax | Yes, Stripe only | Yes | Only simplified GST/HST for non-residents | Yes | 0.5% of volume |
| QuickBooks Online | No (bookkeeping) | Tracked in your books | Prepares the return; you submit to the CRA | No | Subscription |
| Avalara | Separate product | Separate product | Quote | Yes | $799/state/yr (US), Canada by quote |
| TaxJar | No | No | No | Yes | $39/mo |
Disclosure: GoodVat publishes this list. Competitor details come from vendor pricing pages and help centres (Shopify, Stripe, Zamp, Intuit, BigCommerce and WooCommerce), checked in October and November 2026.
What a Canadian online store actually needs
Four jobs, and most tools only do one or two:
- Know when to register. GST/HST kicks in at $30,000 of worldwide taxable sales across every channel, including Etsy, Amazon and US exports. BC PST can start at $10,000 of BC sales, Quebec QST at $30,000 of Quebec sales, and Saskatchewan has no minimum. See selling across Canada.
- Charge the right rate. GST/HST follows the customer’s province, from 5% to 15%, plus PST or QST where you’re registered.
- Register. With the CRA, and with each province separately.
- File and pay. One GST/HST return, plus a return for each provincial tax, on different schedules.
Checkout calculation is the easy part: Shopify, WooCommerce and BigCommerce can all do it with the right settings. Jobs 1, 3 and 4 are where small sellers get caught.
1. GoodVat: best overall for Canadian sellers
- Best for: Canadian stores selling across provinces and to the US, on one or more channels
- Coverage: GST/HST, PST, QST and RST, US sales tax in every state, and VAT and GST in 140+ countries
- Registration and filing: Yes, by Canadian accountant partners, priced per jurisdiction and quoted upfront
- Pricing: Free up to 50 transactions/month; $20 (250), $50 (1,000), $100 (2,500)
- Limitation: Registration and filing are quoted on top of the plan; setup is sales-led, on a call with the team
GoodVat connects Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Etsy, Amazon and Stripe, calculates the right GST/HST and provincial tax at checkout, and counts every order against the $30,000 GST/HST threshold, the provincial thresholds and US state nexus thresholds. When you need to register, its partners register you with the CRA and the provinces and file the returns.
2. Zamp: best fully managed service
- Pricing: Flat annual fee, by quote. Zamp’s pricing page has a “U.S. + Canada” tier
- Coverage: GST/HST, BC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba PST, and Quebec QST, across all 13 provinces and territories since 1 July 2026
- Limitation: No public price; built for businesses that want everything handed over
Zamp extended its managed US service to Canada in July 2026. It registers, files and remits as your representative with the CRA, Revenu Québec and the provinces, including input tax credits on your returns. It’s a strong choice if you want no involvement at all and the budget suits.
3. Shopify Tax: fine for checkout, not compliance
- Pricing: Free until your store’s global sales reach CA$100,000, then 0.25% per Canadian order on Starter, Basic, Grow and Advanced (0.15% on Plus), capped at CA$0.99 an order, from 15 August 2026
- Limitation: Doesn’t file or remit Canadian taxes; only sees Shopify orders
Since 13 May 2026, new Canadian stores can’t use Shopify’s Basic Tax service and choose between Shopify Tax and manual rates. Shopify Tax applies zero-rated and exempt rates by product category and offers a Canada sales tax report. It won’t register you, and it won’t see your Etsy or Amazon sales when you’re near $30,000. See Shopify GST/HST setup.
4. Stripe Tax: best for Stripe-only businesses
- Pricing: 0.5% of volume on pay-as-you-go; Tax Complete plans from $90/month
- Limitation: Only sees Stripe payments; Stripe’s own Canadian filing covers only the simplified GST/HST regime for non-residents
Stripe Tax calculates GST/HST, PST, QST and RST once you add your registrations in the Dashboard. A Canadian business registered under the normal GST/HST system files through Stripe’s partners (Taxually, Marosa and Hands-off Sales Tax) or its own accountant. Many stores also take PayPal, which Stripe Tax can’t count.
5. QuickBooks Online: best for doing it yourself
- Pricing: QuickBooks subscription
- Limitation: Bookkeeping, not checkout calculation; you submit the return on the CRA’s site
QuickBooks Online Canada prepares a GST/HST return from your books. Intuit’s help centre says you copy the amounts into GST/HST NETFILE or My Business Account to submit, then pay the CRA outside QuickBooks. It suits a small seller who files their own annual return. See GST/HST NETFILE.
6. Avalara: best for large businesses
- Pricing: Avalara Select from $799 per state per year in the US, three-state minimum; Canadian coverage quoted separately
- Limitation: Priced for businesses with a tax team
Avalara connects to Shopify, WooCommerce and BigCommerce and suits larger brands. For a small Canadian store it’s usually more than you need. See GoodVat vs Avalara.
Tools that don’t cover Canada
- TaxJar (from $39/month) is US sales tax only.
- WooCommerce Tax (free) gives automatic rates for stores based in Canada, but WooCommerce says it doesn’t file returns, remit tax or tell you where you owe tax. See WooCommerce GST/HST setup.
- BigCommerce has no tax engine of its own. Its Basic Tax setting uses rate tables you maintain. See BigCommerce GST/HST setup.
What Shopify Tax costs a growing store
A Shopify store selling CA$300,000 a year, all to Canadian customers, with an average order of $100:
| Shopify Tax | GoodVat | |
|---|---|---|
| Checkout calculation | Free for the first CA$100,000, then 0.25% × ~2,000 orders ≈ $500/year | Included: $20/month plan (250 transactions) = $240/year |
| Threshold monitoring across Etsy, Amazon and wholesale | No | Yes |
| GST/HST and PST filing | Not offered | Quoted per jurisdiction by Canadian accountant partners |
How to choose
| If you are… | Pick |
|---|---|
| Selling across provinces and to the US, on more than one channel | GoodVat |
| Wanting everything handed over, with budget to match | Zamp |
| Shopify-only, under the thresholds, filing yourself | Shopify Tax + QuickBooks |
| Taking every payment through Stripe | Stripe Tax |
| A small seller who files one annual return | QuickBooks Online |
| A large business with a tax team | Avalara |
For the basics of what you owe, see sales tax for Canadian online stores.
FAQ
What is the best sales tax software for Canadian online sellers?
GoodVat is the best fit for most small Canadian online sellers in 2026. It calculates GST/HST, PST, QST and US sales tax at checkout, counts every channel against the $30,000 GST/HST threshold and provincial and US thresholds, and its Canadian accountant partners register you and file. It is free up to 50 transactions a month, then from $20/month.
Does Shopify Tax file GST/HST returns?
No. Shopify says it doesn’t remit or file Canadian taxes. Shopify Tax calculates GST/HST, PST and QST at checkout and gives you a Canada sales tax report if your store currency is CAD. It’s free until your global sales reach CA$100,000, then 0.25% of each Canadian order (0.15% on Plus), capped at CA$0.99.
Can QuickBooks file my GST/HST return?
QuickBooks Online Canada prepares your GST/HST return from your books. Intuit’s help centre says you then copy the amounts into the CRA’s NETFILE or My Business Account form to submit it, and pay the CRA outside QuickBooks. It doesn’t calculate tax at your store’s checkout.
Does Stripe Tax handle Canadian GST/HST, PST and QST?
Stripe Tax calculates GST/HST, PST, QST and RST once you add your registrations, but only on payments that go through Stripe. Stripe’s own filing service in Canada covers only the simplified GST/HST regime for non-resident businesses. Canadian businesses file normal GST/HST, PST and QST through Stripe’s filing partners or their own accountant.
Do I need sales tax software if I’m under $30,000?
Not for collecting tax, because a small supplier doesn’t charge GST/HST. You do need to know when you cross $30,000 across every channel, including Etsy, Amazon and exports, because the deadline to register runs from that point. Free threshold monitoring is the main thing worth having at that stage.