Bookkeeper for Cardston businesses
Gateway to Waterton, with a seasonal rhythm
Cardston’s economy rests on education, health care, agriculture, tourism and a strong streak of entrepreneurship. It’s about 30 minutes from Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, and landmarks like the Cardston Alberta Temple (built 1913 to 1923) and the Remington Carriage Museum draw visitors through town.
Tourism here is seasonal. The Remington Carriage Museum runs a summer season with carriage rides in July and August, and the Cardston Visitor Information Centre closes between Labour Day and Victoria Day. Businesses that serve visitors tend to follow the same season.
That pattern is easier to manage when the books are current: you can see what the season earned, set aside GST as it comes in, and plan the off-season with real numbers. In 2023, Town council also voted to allow liquor licences for restaurants and recreational facilities.
Bookkeeping services for Cardston businesses
- Catch-up & cleanup bookkeepingSummer left the books behind? I’ll catch you up over the quiet months.
- Monthly bookkeepingMonthly numbers that show how the season is really going.
- Payroll servicesSeasonal staff set up and paid correctly, with ROEs when the season ends.
- GST filingGST from a busy summer filed correctly and on time.
Local details worth knowing
Cardston’s licensing rule is one of the broadest around. From the Town of Cardston:
- Everyone needs a licence
- anyone doing business in town needs one, including online sellers, artisans and home-based phone or online businesses (Bylaw 1667).
- Reciprocal licences
- the Town honours licences from Cardston County and the Town of Magrath.
- County fees
- Cardston County lists $50 for a resident licence and $130 for a regional one.
- Chamber
- the Cardston & District Chamber of Commerce.
Working together from Cardston
Cardston is about 77 km from Lethbridge, so the work is remote: QuickBooks Online, a receipt app, and phone or video calls. Statements and receipts can all be shared securely online, so there’s no need to drive anything in.
If you run your business from home, your books still need the same care as a storefront’s, and Cardston’s licence rule applies to home-based businesses too.
Keeping business and personal spending separate from the start makes a home-based business much easier to manage at year-end.
Questions from Cardston
Do you work with businesses in Cardston?
Yes, remotely from Lethbridge, about 77 km away. Everything is shared online, so there’s no need to drive in.
I run my business from home in Cardston. Do I need a licence?
The Town of Cardston says everyone doing business in town needs a licence, including home-based businesses. Check with the Town for your situation.
My business is busiest in summer. How should I handle GST?
Set GST aside as you collect it, and watch the $30,000 threshold, which is measured quarter by quarter, so a strong summer quarter can be enough to require registration. See GST filing.
I run a summer business near Waterton. What should I do in the off-season?
Use the quiet months to close out the season properly: reconcile everything, file any GST that’s due, send ROEs and T4s for seasonal staff, and get the books ready for your tax preparer. If the summer left things behind, catch-up bookkeeping fits well into the off-season.
Let’s get your books level.
Tell me where things stand, even if it’s messy, and I’ll tell you honestly what it’ll take to catch up and keep it that way. Every quote is confirmed after a free review of your books.
Leave a message and Vanessa will call you back.