Small RowsFreelance tax set-aside calculator (Canada)
Type in what you invoice and see how much to move to a tax savings account: the GST/HST you collect (if you're registered), a percentage of your fee for income tax that you choose, and what's left to spend. It also shows when your income would cross the $30,000 small-supplier threshold.
Calculator
Starts with an example amount; replace it with yours. Commas and a dollar sign are fine.
For example 2, or 0.5 for one every two months.
Only used if you're registered. The rate depends on where the supply is made (the CRA's place-of-supply rules), not simply where you live.
The 25 it starts with is only an example to adjust, not a recommendation. Pick your own; see choosing a percentage.
What to set aside
| What | Per month | Over 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Your fee (before GST/HST) | ||
| Your fee (before GST/HST) | $3,000.00 | $36,000.00 |
| Set aside for income tax: 25% of your fee (your choice) | ||
| Set aside for income tax: 25% of your fee (your choice) | $750.00 | $9,000.00 |
| Left to spend | ||
| Left to spend | $2,250.00 | $27,000.00 |
Each amount is rounded to the cent. No GST/HST lines because you said you aren’t registered.
The next 12 months against the $30,000 small-supplier threshold
Assumes the same fee every month, starting on the first day of a calendar quarter (January 1, April 1, July 1 or October 1), and nothing else counting toward the total. Real life is lumpier: use your own quarters below for a real check.
| Quarter (3 months) | This quarter | Running total | Against $30,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter 1 | |||
| Quarter 1 | $9,000.00 | $9,000.00 | Under |
| Quarter 2 | |||
| Quarter 2 | $9,000.00 | $18,000.00 | Under |
| Quarter 3 | |||
| Quarter 3 | $9,000.00 | $27,000.00 | Under |
| Quarter 4 | |||
| Quarter 4 | $9,000.00 | $36,000.00 | Running total over |
At this rate, the running total goes over $30,000 in quarter 4 ($36,000.00), but no single quarter does. Under the CRA’s rule you stop being a small supplier at the end of the month after that quarter, and you register and start charging GST/HST from your first sale after that.
Check your own last four quarters
The CRA's small-supplier test looks at calendar quarters: you stop being a small supplier if your taxable revenue (before expenses) goes over $30,000 in a single calendar quarter, or over the last four (or fewer) consecutive calendar quarters. The two have different start dates (CRA: When to register). Enter your taxable revenue (before expenses) for each of your last four calendar quarters, oldest first. Leave a quarter blank if you had none.
Enter your taxable revenue (before expenses) for up to four calendar quarters, oldest first.
The CRA's example 4 is a business with $2,000, $10,000, $12,000 and $8,000 in four consecutive quarters: $32,000 in total, with no single quarter over $30,000. Our GST/HST guide walks through it.
How it works
- GST/HST to hold = your fee × the GST/HST rate for the province or territory you pick (only if you say you're registered), rounded to the cent. It's money you collect for the CRA (less any input tax credits you claim), so the calculator holds all of it.
- Income-tax set-aside = your fee (before GST/HST) × the percentage you choose. It's meant to cover income tax and CPP on self-employment earnings, but the calculator doesn't know your real bill.
- Left to spend = your fee − the income-tax set-aside. It doesn't subtract business expenses.
- Per invoice: the per-month column is the per-invoice amount times the number of invoices a month, and the 12-month column is 12 × the month.
- The threshold view compares your fee before GST/HST with $30,000, using the CRA's rule that you're a small supplier at $30,000 or less, and "over" means more than $30,000. It treats each 3 months as one quarter.
- Numbers are worked out in whole cents and rounded half up, so a figure can differ by a cent from a calculation done another way.
GST/HST rates the calculator uses
From the "GST/HST and PST rates" table on the CRA's GST/HST calculator (and rates) page. The rate you charge depends on the type of supply, where it's made and who it's made to, so check the CRA page before you invoice. Provincial sales taxes, including Quebec's QST, are separate and aren't included.
| Province or territory | GST/HST |
|---|---|
| Alberta | 5% GST |
| British Columbia | 5% GST |
| Manitoba | 5% GST |
| New Brunswick | 15% HST |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 15% HST |
| Northwest Territories | 5% GST |
| Nova Scotia (since April 1, 2025) | 14% HST |
| Nunavut | 5% GST |
| Ontario | 13% HST |
| Prince Edward Island | 15% HST |
| Quebec | 5% GST |
| Saskatchewan | 5% GST |
| Yukon | 5% GST |
Choosing your percentage
We don't recommend a number, because the right one depends on your income, your province, your deductions and any other income you have. Some ways to get a starting point:
- After your first freelance year, use your own return: what you owed for the year divided by your self-employment profit. If this year looks very different, adjust it.
- In your first year, an accountant can give you a sensible number in one conversation, and it's worth asking.
- Check it every quarter: compare what's in the tax account with what you've paid and expect to owe, and adjust.
Remember the dates: self-employed people pay their balance by April 30 and file by June 15. If your net tax owing is more than $3,000 ($1,800 in Quebec) this year and in one of the two previous years, you may have to pay instalments on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 (CRA: Tax instalments). Our guide covers both in more detail, and our free instalment checker applies the CRA's test to your own numbers.
Related free resources
- GST/HST and setting money aside for taxes as a Canadian freelancer: the small-supplier rule step by step, registering voluntarily, returns and deadlines, income tax instalments and a simple set-aside habit.
- What to put on a freelance invoice in Canada: what a GST/HST invoice must show so your clients can claim input tax credits, with a checklist.
- Free freelance invoice template (.xlsx, no sign-up): a line for your GST/HST number and two optional tax lines where you type the label and rate yourself.
- Free expense and receipt log: log purchases and GST/HST paid, then print a month summary.
- Freelance hourly rate calculator: the hourly rate you need from your income target, expenses, time off and billable hours, with optional CPP.
- CRA tax instalments for freelancers: whether you have to pay quarterly instalments, the due dates and the three options, with a free checker.
Want this as a running record instead of a one-off calculation? Our paid Freelance Billing Kit by Small Rows (US$12, one-time) has a Tax Set-Aside tab at the percentage you choose and an optional GST-HST tab with quarterly totals and a rolling four-quarter total. Like this page, it's a record-keeping tool and not tax advice.
Sources
All CRA (canada.ca) pages, read on 2026-10-06. Rates and rules change; check the live page before you rely on it.
- Small-supplier threshold and the two tests: When to register for and start charging the GST/HST · GST/HST Memorandum 2-2, Small suppliers
- Rates: GST/HST calculator (and rates)
- Registering early: Register voluntarily for a GST/HST account
- Income tax: Required tax instalments for individuals · Who has to pay · Payment due dates · Due dates and payment dates (individuals)
Found a mistake or an out-of-date rate? Tell us via Support and we'll fix it and note the change here.