Processing your GST/HST Return

The GST/HST Return is used to periodically report any GST/HST collected, GST/HST paid, and sales and other income to CRA.  The result of the GST/HST return is an amount owing or a refund, depending on if you collected more than you paid out.

In Business Information, you can set up your GST/HST registration number and remittance frequency.  Both are required for you to process your GST/HST return.

When entering your registration number, AgExpert Accounting will verify that it is a valid GST/HST number.  You need to enter your number as #########RT#### (no spaces or dashes, with the “RT” capitalized).

The GST/HST return will consider all entries made through the transaction screen and the general journal screen.  The report will include any GST/HST amounts entered but unclaimed before the end date of the period (including items that may fall in a prior period).  Sales and Other Revenue will include only items in the current reporting period.

To process your GST/HST return, click Taxes on the left, and click GST (or HST if you are in a province that has HST).

Click Process a new GST (HST) return. The page below will show up if this is your first return processed.

For additional returns, the Process a new GST return button will be right under the GST returns page title.

The report for your next reporting period will automatically populate.

1) Reporting period for your GST/HST return.

2) Summary of what will be posted to your accounts payable or accounts receivable when the return is saved, and which supplier or customer is will be saved under.

3) Total sales and other revenues for the reporting period.

4) Total GST collected, GST paid, and the amount owing or refunded as a result of the reporting period transactions. 

5) A summary of all transactions included in the report, which can be used to verify the numbers in steps 2 to 4.

Once you have determined that your numbers are correct, click Save at the bottom of the screen.  The return will be added to the list of saved returns for the fiscal year.  You can click on the return to view and print the saved report, but you will not be able to make any changes to it at this point.

Netfiling your GST/HST return is available to all provinces except Quebec. Click on the ellipsis and select Create Netfile return. 

Once the file is created, click the ellipsis again and select Download Netfile.

This will create a .tax file that you can download.  It will generally download into your computer’s Downloads folder. You will need to retrieve this file once on the CRA website as shown in steps below. 

To Submit the file, click on the ellipsis again on the GST return page and select Submit Netfile this time.

This will open a new tab and go to the CRA website.  Click Ready to file.

Read the information provided by CRA and click Continue when ready.

To upload your return, click Choose File

Select the file with a .tax extension in your Downloads folder.

Watch for the date and time the file was created to make sure you’re attaching the correct file. 

The file uploaded with show beside the Choose File button. Click Next when ready.

The GST/HST return will be populated based on the information inside of the downloaded file.  Verify that it matches what you had seen on your GST/HST return in AgExpert Accounting.  You will need to enter your access code and certify that the information is true.  When done, click Submit.

Last updated on October 21, 2020 by FCC AgExpert