Bookkeeper for Magrath businesses
The Garden City and its canal
Magrath was settled in 1899 by families recruited to dig the Galt irrigation canal, Canada’s first large-scale irrigation system. The town, nicknamed the Garden City, marked its 125th birthday in 2024.
There’s also a wind farm just west of town, and Highway 5 carries on through Magrath toward Waterton Lakes National Park, 127 km from Lethbridge. If you run a small, owner-run business here, with one or two people doing the work and the books squeezed into evenings, that’s exactly who I work with.
Magrath is part of Cardston County, home to 4,856 people at the 2021 census, and it sits about 10 km from Raymond. The two towns are close, but each has its own licence rules, chamber and character.
Bookkeeping services for Magrath businesses
- Catch-up & cleanup bookkeepingBehind on the books? I’ll catch you up from your bank statements, month by month.
- Monthly bookkeepingSteady monthly books for small, owner-run businesses.
- Payroll servicesEven one or two employees deserve payroll that’s done right.
- GST filingGST filed on time for your period, with the receipts behind every credit.
Local details worth knowing
Magrath’s licensing has a feature that small contractors working south of Lethbridge run into: reciprocal licences.
- Licence fees
- a resident or reciprocal business licence is $60 a year, and a non-resident licence is $160.
- Renewals
- in person at the Town Office each January.
- Home-based
- home businesses need approval before the licence is issued.
- Reciprocal licences
- a business licensed by a municipality that has a licensing agreement with Magrath may not need a separate one, and the Town of Cardston honours Magrath licences.
- Chamber
- the Magrath & District Chamber of Commerce.
Working together from Magrath
Most of the work happens online, through QuickBooks Online and a receipt app, with phone or video calls when you want to talk. Magrath is about a 25-minute drive from Lethbridge, so meeting in person is easy to arrange.
If you work across Magrath, Cardston and the county, I’ll keep your licences, renewal dates and costs straight in the books.
Licence renewals happen in person at the Town Office each January, so I’ll record each licence and its renewal date in your books.
Questions from Magrath
Do you work with businesses in Magrath?
Yes. Most of the work is remote, and Magrath is about 32 km from Lethbridge, so in-person visits are easy to arrange.
How much is a Magrath business licence?
The Town lists $60 a year for a resident or reciprocal licence and $160 for a non-resident one, renewed in person at the Town Office each January. Check with the Town for current fees.
Does my Magrath licence work in Cardston?
The Town of Cardston says it honours licences from the Town of Magrath and Cardston County. It’s worth confirming with Cardston for your situation.
I work in Magrath, Cardston and the county. How should I track licences?
Record each licence as a business expense, with its renewal date. Licensing agreements between towns matter here: the Town of Cardston says it honours Magrath licences, and Magrath says a business licensed by a municipality it has an agreement with may not need its own. Check with each town before you buy another licence.
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.
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