Invoicing software for Quebec freelancers (GST/QST): 2026 comparison

• You are a small supplier if your total taxable supplies (and those of your associates) do not exceed $30,000 in a calendar quarter or over the four preceding calendar quarters. A small supplier does not have to register for or collect GST and QST. • Above that threshold, you must register for GST and QST. In Quebec, Revenu Québec administers the GST/HST under the federal rules, so you register for both taxes with Revenu Québec. • If you go over $30,000 in a single quarter, you stop being a small supplier with the sale that takes you over the threshold, and that sale is taxable. If you go over it across four quarters, you stop being a small supplier at the end of the month following the quarter in which you exceeded it. • You can also register voluntarily before reaching the threshold. You then have to collect the taxes on your taxable supplies and stay registered for at least one year. As a registrant, you can claim input tax credits and input tax refunds (ITCs and ITRs) for the taxes paid on your business purchases, subject to the applicable rules. Software is not required to follow these rules, but it becomes very useful once you collect the taxes and file returns.

Revenu Québec does not impose an invoice format (except for restaurants and taxis). However, your registered customers need specific information to support their ITCs and ITRs, and the requirements grow with the total value of the sale, taxes included: • Less than $100: your name or business name, the invoice date and the total amount. For the QST only, add the tax amount and a description of the property or service. • $100 to $499.99: all of the above, plus the GST and QST amounts and your GST and QST registration numbers. If the invoice combines taxable and exempt supplies, show the status of each. • $500 or more: all of the above, plus the purchaser's name (or business name, or the name of their agent), the terms of payment and a description of the property or service. For the calculation: • GST is 5% of the price and QST is 9.975% of the price excluding GST, so both taxes are calculated on the same selling price. • Combined or rounded rates (14.975%, 14.97% and 9.97%) must not appear on the document attesting to the sale. • Round each tax amount to the nearest cent: a fraction of $0.005 or more is rounded up to the next cent, and a smaller fraction is dropped. Finally, the Charter of the French language (section 57) provides that invoices, receipts and acquittances must be drawn up in French. An invoice in another language may be sent only if the French version is available to the recipient on terms that are at least as favourable. That is why you should be able to issue your invoices in French, whatever software you use. To check an amount before putting it on an invoice, our GST and QST calculator adds or extracts both taxes and rounds to the cent.

• QST handling: preset or custom rates, registration numbers on the invoice, GST and QST report or return. • French: French interface and invoices in French. • Real cost: free plan, regular price after the promotion, limits (clients, invoices, users). • Free trial and access for your accountant. We only state what appears on the vendors' official pages. When information was not displayed or could not be confirmed, we say so.

• Free plan available in Canada as long as revenue for the financial year does not exceed C$50K: 1 user plus 1 accountant, up to 1,000 invoices a year, email support. • Paid plans, per organization per month, billed annually, before taxes: Standard C$15, Professional C$30, Premium C$40, Elite C$165 and Ultimate C$290. Monthly billing costs more (Zoho advertises savings of up to 25% with yearly billing). • QST: QST returns and combined GST/HST-QST returns. According to the Canadian pricing page, combined returns are included from the free plan up. • French: the interface is available in Canadian French. Changing the language does not change some items created at setup (chart of accounts, email templates, default tax rates), so pick French when you first set up the organization. • Trial: 14 days free for paid plans. Who it suits: a freelancer who wants to start at no cost with well-integrated QST and a French interface.

• Plans shown in Canada: Lite (for solo businesses: invoices and payments, sales tax, basic reports, 2 bank connections, no accountant access), EasyStart (1 user plus your accountant), Plus (5 users) and Advanced (25 users). • Price: when we checked, Lite was shown at a regular price of C$20 a month, with a temporary promotional price of C$2 a month; check the official page for how long the promotion lasts and the regular price after it. The regular price of the other plans was not displayed in the version of the page we consulted and varies with promotions, so check the official pricing page. • Trial: 30 days free, no credit card required. Intuit states that promotional discounts do not apply if you start with the free trial. • QST: based on where the business is located, QuickBooks automatically sets up Quebec tax codes (GST 5%, QST 9.975% and combined GST/QST). • French: website, help centre and settings available in French. Who it suits: someone who wants full accounting software in French, with Quebec taxes preset, and who plans to add payroll (paid add-on), inventory or project tracking (Plus plan).

• Plans in Canada, regular monthly prices: Lite C$26 (up to 5 billable clients), Plus C$42 (50 clients), Premium C$72 (unlimited clients) and Select (custom). Large promotions were displayed when we checked, for example Lite at C$1 a month for the first year, then the regular C$26. • According to the FreshBooks help centre, accounting features are only available on Plus and higher plans (and during the trial). • QST: you create your own taxes (rate up to three decimals, name and registration number) and you can apply up to two taxes per line, which lets you show GST and QST. A sales tax summary report helps you prepare your returns; we did not find a built-in QST return. • French: invoices, estimates and proposals can be issued in French, client by client. We did not find official confirmation of a French interface. • Trial: 30 days free, no credit card required. Who it suits: a service freelancer billing a small number of clients who is comfortable with an English interface. Watch the 5-client limit on the Lite plan.

• Regular prices, per month plus tax: C$23, C$50 and C$72 depending on the plan (three plans). When we checked, Sage was showing new customers 75% off for 6 months on a monthly subscription, after which the regular price applies. • The entry plan includes unlimited invoices, automatic bank reconciliation and one user. • QST: in the sales tax settings, you turn on QST and enter your registration number and filing frequency. The tool also lets you set up ITCs and ITRs. • French: bilingual interface and support in English and French. Who it suits: someone who wants simple, bilingual accounting software at a fixed price and does not need a free plan.

• Free Starter plan: unlimited estimates, invoices, bills and bookkeeping records. Pro plan: C$25 a month per business (US$19), plus applicable taxes (or US$190 a year billed annually; online payment processing fees extra); it adds automatic bank transaction import and automated late payment reminders, among other features. • QST: you create your own taxes (name, rate, number), with options to show your tax number on invoices and to mark a tax as recoverable. • French: according to its help centre, Wave is only available in English. You can type French text in editable fields; make sure the invoice you send to your clients can be entirely in French. Who it suits: someone looking for a simple free tool who is comfortable in English. It is the least French-friendly option of those compared.

• Free plan: Zoho Books (up to C$50K of revenue per financial year) and Wave (Starter). • Preset QST or built-in return: Zoho Books (QST and combined returns), QuickBooks Online (Quebec codes set up automatically) and Sage Accounting (QST in the settings). FreshBooks and Wave: taxes you create yourself. • French interface: Zoho Books, QuickBooks Online and Sage Accounting. FreshBooks: documents in French, French interface not confirmed. Wave: English only. • Free trial: QuickBooks Online and FreshBooks, 30 days; Zoho Books, 14 days; Sage Accounting, no free trial confirmed on the Canadian page, but 75% off for 6 months for new customers (offer in effect when we checked).

• Do you already collect GST and QST? If so, favour a tool with built-in QST handling that prepares your returns. If not, a free tool may be enough to start. • Do you need a French interface? Rule out the tools that do not offer one and, in any case, make sure your invoices can be issued in French. • Who prepares your returns? If you work with an accountant, ask which software they use and check that your plan gives them access (for example, the Zoho Books free plan includes 1 accountant, while QuickBooks Lite has no accountant access).