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A bookkeeper runs it. You run the business.
Through My Local Bookkeeper, we pair you with a named local bookkeeper. We do the books; you send the documents and answer the questions that need your knowledge.
BRIAN / BOOKKEEPING
Bookkeeping for business owners, not accountants.
For the contractor running a crew and the owner wearing every hat. We do the books and put the numbers you use to run the business on your phone.
Built for small businesses with fewer than 10 employees.
Already a client? Sign in →WHAT YOUR PORTAL CAN SHOW YOU
Your financial statements matter.
So do the questions you ask every day.
We prepare monthly financial statements for you, your accountant, your bank and CRA, and publish them to your portal. These screens put the same books to work on the questions that come up between reports.
Actual Brian portal screens, using Northline Contracting’s fictional example data. Some screens are switched on by your bookkeeper when the books are ready; they are not all available from day one. Job-cost limits reflect your overhead and profit target.
Is the work paying off?
Margins and break-even, and what your jobs can cost for the profit you want.
Where do I stand with the company?
See the money that has moved between you and the company, separately from business expenses.
What is available to take out?
What remains after recorded obligations, estimated income tax and an overhead cushion.
How much HST is building up?
HST collected, input tax credits and the amount owing so far, with the period clearly labelled.
What do we owe on the loans?
Loan balances, payment terms and upcoming dates, together on your phone.
What is due, and when?
See upcoming CRA and WSIB obligations and the items that need you.
THE WORK BEHIND THE SCREEN
What makes this different.
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A number needs something behind it.
We reconcile accounts against statements and lock closed months against ordinary changes. “Available to take out” gives no figure when the books are behind or an account’s balance has not been proved.
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GST/HST is part of the work.
Brian uses CRA’s published rates and checks tax treatments before booking. Contradictory tax entries are refused; other flagged treatments need a person’s recorded reason to proceed. Receipt checks follow CRA’s input tax credit documentation requirements, supplier GST numbers are captured, and returns are recorded as filed.
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Your bank balance is only the start.
“Available to take out” compares earnings with cash after recorded obligations, a tax provision where it can be calculated, and an overhead cushion. GST/HST and payroll deductions owed are shown separately from the owner’s money.
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Questions you can answer in your own words.
We send plain-language questions to your portal. Review packets leave out transactions already settled by the books, a rule or your earlier answer; AI suggestions remain questions for a person to confirm.
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From a website enquiry to paid work.
See website quote requests on your phone. We can turn those enquiries into quotes with deposits and progress billing. Before sending, Brian checks against your own usual quotes or the history in your books when there is enough history.
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AI assists. A person confirms.
AI helps read receipts and propose answers. It does not approve its own suggestions or book money on its own. A person confirms the decision before a proposed change reaches the books.
QuickBooks / Sage and Brian.
QuickBooks and Sage both support Canadian taxes, receipts and working with a bookkeeper. We combine our own software with a local bookkeeping service and a portal built around the owner’s questions.
| The work | QuickBooks / Sage | Brian + your local bookkeeper |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the books | Accounting software you or your bookkeeper operates; accountant access is supported. | A named local bookkeeper runs the books as part of the service. |
| GST/HST | Canadian sales tax calculation and reporting tools. | CRA rate calculations, tax-treatment checks and a record of returns as filed, within our bookkeeping workflow. |
| When numbers appear | Dashboards and reports display the transactions recorded in the software. | Published operating numbers come from a reviewed period. The draw card withholds its figure when freshness or statement checks fail. |
| Questions | You can share access with an accountant or bookkeeper. | Plain-language transaction questions and review packets come to the owner’s portal. |
| Receipts | Receipt capture and expense-recording tools. | Receipt capture, matching and ITC documentation checks are part of the bookkeeper’s work. |
| What the owner sees | Accounting dashboards and financial reports. | Operating measures, owner money, HST, loans and obligations, alongside monthly financial statements. |
Comparison scope: QuickBooks Online and Sage Accounting in Canada; features vary by plan. Product references: QuickBooks and Sage. Reviewed September 2026.
OUR BOOKKEEPING PARTNER
The software is Brian.
The service is My Local Bookkeeper.
Brian is the exclusive software provider for mylocalbookkeeper.ca. Meet your local bookkeeper and explore the service, availability and plans.
Find your bookkeeperNot near Halifax, St. John’s or Toronto? We work remotely across Canada → bookkeeperbrian.com
Run your region
We’re hiring local bookkeepers across Canada — people who want to own their community’s book of clients without building the back office themselves.
You bring
the client relationships, the local knowledge, the care.
We bring
the platform (checks, filings, portal, AI assistant), the brand, lead flow for your region, CRA representative infrastructure, and a second set of eyes on every set of books.
You do the bookkeeping. Brian does the back office. Your region gets a bookkeeper it can actually reach.
Tell us about you and your region
Business owner or bookkeeper — leave your details and we'll get back to you, usually within one business day.