Setting up...

Hello all. I just moved here from Japan and want to do illustration work as a home business. Do need a business licence? How about a GST and PST number? I assume we must charge taxes on our work. I hope to do illustration for children's books, design business cards, ads, etc....

Thanks.
Maki.

PS- I had a friend correct my English.

I think that you can do freelance without a registered business licence in Canada so long as you make under $600 a year. After that you need to claim it on your income tax and pay taxes on it. If clients pay in cash (rare) just don't claim it and it's pure cream.

http://www.smallbusin...

http://www.artistsurv...

As for GST/PST. you can't charge either without a GST or PST number.

GST numbers only apply if your business makes over $30,000 over four consecutive quarters (in a year).

PST numbers apply any time you are selling a tangible end product. If you don't charge anything for printed/end goods, and deliver everything digitally, you won't have to worry about PST.

If you're interested in reading the results of investigation conducted by this group into the PST application rules, take a look at this:

http://graphicdesign....