Tax prep tips for sole proprietors and freelancers in Canada and the US.
Section 179 and 100% bonus depreciation can let you deduct equipment in the year it's placed in service, but a deduction isn't a refund. What sole proprietors should check before buying equipment before December 31.
November 10, 2026 · 9 min read
Buying equipment in December can lower your taxes, but only if it's available for use and you needed it anyway. How capital cost allowance (CCA) works for Canadian sole proprietors under the current rules.
November 10, 2026 · 9 min read
Bank deposits and withdrawals aren't profit. Learn how to remove transfers, loans and personal amounts, categorize expenses, and adjust for your accounting method to build a profit and loss statement from bank statements.
November 5, 2026 · 8 min read
How to convert PDF bank statements to Excel: CSV downloads, Excel's PDF import, converter tools, how to check the results against your statement balances, and why converting is only part of bookkeeping.
November 2, 2026 · 9 min read
Yes, many sole proprietors do their own bookkeeping. Learn what it involves, whether you need accounting software, how to keep it manageable, and when to hire a bookkeeper.
October 29, 2026 · 8 min read
Since launching in July 2026, Heightly has added better duplicate handling, more bank formats, clearer statement checks, smarter categories and more control over off-bank expenses. Here's what changed for you.
October 28, 2026 · 5 min read
Learn when a U.S. sole proprietor should hire a bookkeeper for taxes, what a bookkeeper can do, and when you also need a tax preparer, CPA, or enrolled agent.
October 26, 2026 · 10 min read
Learn when a Canadian sole proprietor should hire a bookkeeper for taxes, what a bookkeeper can do, and when you may also need a CPA or tax preparer.
October 22, 2026 · 11 min read
Yes, Excel can work for sole proprietor bookkeeping. Learn what your workbook must include, how to reconcile it, and when a spreadsheet is no longer enough.
October 20, 2026 · 12 min read
Learn the best way to track business expenses without QuickBooks using separate accounts, digital receipts, a transaction log, and monthly reconciliation.
October 16, 2026 · 12 min read
Compare Excel and QuickBooks for sole proprietor bookkeeping, including cost, setup, automation, reporting, error risk, scalability, and tax preparation.
October 12, 2026 · 14 min read
How to do bookkeeping without QuickBooks using bank statements, a spreadsheet, or an annual tax-prep tool: a practical step-by-step process for sole proprietors.
October 8, 2026 · 13 min read
Sole proprietors need accurate business records, but not necessarily accounting software. When software helps, and when a simpler system may be enough.
October 5, 2026 · 11 min read
Self-employed people don't automatically need QuickBooks. When accounting software is worth it, and when a spreadsheet or an annual tax-prep tool may be enough.
October 1, 2026 · 10 min read
Most health care services are GST/HST-exempt, but product sales usually aren't. How a clinic with mixed revenue sets up GST/HST in Heightly, and why ITCs must be prorated rather than claimed at 100%.
September 28, 2026 · 6 min read
Before you start catching up your bookkeeping, gather every bank and credit-card statement, income record, receipt and note you'll need. A practical checklist for sole proprietors in Canada and the US.
September 28, 2026 · 13 min read
Missing receipts or incomplete bookkeeping? Learn how to reconstruct business expenses from bank statements, invoices and other records for Schedule C.
September 24, 2026 · 13 min read
Missing receipts or incomplete bookkeeping? Learn how to reconstruct business expenses from bank statements, invoices and other records for your T2125.
September 24, 2026 · 14 min read
Yes — a straightforward sole proprietor can reconstruct a full year from bank and credit-card statements. When doing it all at once is easy, when it isn't, and a 10-step process for catching up a year you're already behind on.
September 21, 2026 · 15 min read
Self-employed Canadians pay both halves of CPP — 11.9% on net self-employment income in 2026, up to $8,460.90, plus CPP2 above $74,600. What that means for your tax bill, why it catches new sole proprietors off guard, and why your bookkeeping decides the number.
September 18, 2026 · 6 min read
A 12-step process for turning bank and credit-card statements into organized bookkeeping — identifying transfers, separating business from personal, handling mixed-use expenses, and catching what the statements don't show. For sole proprietors in the US and Canada.
September 17, 2026 · 14 min read
Behind on your bookkeeping? Compare the four options for sole proprietors — a DIY spreadsheet, bookkeeping software, hiring a bookkeeper, or a statement-organization tool — with a decision tree and a free Excel template.
September 14, 2026 · 16 min read
What catch-up bookkeeping costs in the United States, the factors that drive the price — transaction volume, accounts, months behind, record quality, payroll and inventory — and when DIY, software or a bookkeeper makes sense for a Schedule C filer.
September 14, 2026 · 10 min read
What catch-up bookkeeping costs in Canada, the factors that drive the price — transaction volume, accounts, months behind, record quality and GST/HST — and when DIY, software or a bookkeeper makes sense for a sole proprietor.
September 14, 2026 · 10 min read
A year behind? Work through catch-up bookkeeping in 16 steps — gather, organize, categorize, review — with a free Catch-Up Bookkeeping Excel template. For sole proprietors and freelancers in the US and Canada.
September 11, 2026 · 17 min read
A year behind on bookkeeping? Work through it in 11 steps, with a free Catch-Up Bookkeeping Excel template — for sole proprietors and freelancers in Canada and the US.
September 3, 2026 · 14 min read
Your bookkeeping isn't done but your T2125 is still due. See what an organized T2125 tax-prep report looks like, how each category maps to a GIFI line, and where bank statements fall short.
August 27, 2026 · 10 min read
Your bookkeeping isn't done but your taxes are still due. See exactly what an organized Schedule C tax-prep report looks like, and how each category maps to a Form 1040 Schedule C line.
August 27, 2026 · 5 min read
An honest comparison: what AI chatbots do well for self-employed taxes, and where a year of real bank statements breaks them — privacy, volume, arithmetic and consistency.
August 22, 2026 · 6 min read
Claiming vehicle expenses on Form T2125? See exactly what CRA Chart A requires, the 2026 prescribed interest and leasing limits, and download a free worksheet.
August 19, 2026 · 6 min read
Deducting vehicle expenses on Schedule C? See exactly what IRS Part IV requires, the 2026 standard mileage rate, and download a free worksheet to organize your numbers.
August 12, 2026 · 6 min read
Claiming the home office deduction as a sole proprietor? See exactly what CRA Form T2125 and IRS Form 8829 require, then download a free worksheet to organize the numbers.
August 5, 2026 · 6 min read
A bank statement shows four of the five things the IRS expects an expense record to show. Here is the missing element, how long to keep receipts in Canada and the US, and why digital copies are acceptable.
July 30, 2026 · 9 min read
Yes, bank statements can help prepare your self-employed taxes. Compare a bookkeeper, accounting software, spreadsheets and AI-assisted tax reports.
July 29, 2026 · 12 min read
A line-by-line guide to every Schedule C expense category — from Advertising to Other expenses — with practical examples of what belongs where.
July 24, 2026 · 6 min read
A step-by-step guide for sole proprietors in Canada and the U.S. — what your accountant actually needs, how to organize your records, and how AI tools like Heightly cut prep time and cost.
July 22, 2026 · 6 min read
How Heightly turns a year of bank statements into a Tax Prep Report aligned with T2125 categories — categorized, organized, and export-friendly for your accountant.
July 15, 2026 · 3 min read
Learn how to categorize business expenses on your Schedule C as a US sole proprietor — the common categories, the mistakes to avoid, and how AI can speed up the process.
July 15, 2026 · 5 min read
Learn how to categorize business expenses on your Canadian T2125 — the common categories, the mistakes to avoid, and how AI can automate most of the work.
July 15, 2026 · 6 min read