Project-Based Bookkeeping
Services in Canada
Know what clients owe and what each job earns.
From booking deposits to final invoices, get project bookkeeping that’s organized, accurate, and fully online in QuickBooks Online or Xero.
Paperless Books offers project-based bookkeeping for Canadian marketing agencies, creative studios, photographers, and digital businesses. We track project revenue, client invoices, and job costs in QuickBooks Online or Xero so you can see which jobs are worth taking on again.
Helping creative and digital businesses across Canada keep their client payments, project expenses, and GST/HST records organized.
More than 7 years of bookkeeping experience
Project Accounting and Bookkeeping for Canadian Service Businesses
See What Each Client Project Actually Earns
A website deposit might come in this month, the developer’s bill next month, and the final payment after launch. If those transactions sit in different places, it’s hard to see what’s outstanding or how much the job earned. Our project-based bookkeeping service ties the payments, invoices, and direct costs to the work they belong to.
Your monthly profit and loss statement shows how the whole business did. Project accounting gives you a closer look at each job. You can compare the original estimate with actual costs, see which phases ran over budget, and check how much the client still owes.
From booking to final payment
Take a website build quoted at $6,000 with a $1,500 direct cost budget. If the finished job costs $1,800 in developer bills and project tools, it ran $300 over budget. That leaves $4,200 after those direct costs, before owner time and overhead. If the final $2,000 invoice is still unpaid, it stays on your list to collect. This example excludes sales tax.
WHAT YOU GET WITH PROJECT-BASED BOOKKEEPING
Project Billing, Deposits & Milestone Invoices
Keep booking deposits, progress invoices, monthly retainers, and final balances tied to the correct job. We match client payments to invoices so you can see what has been billed, collected, and is still outstanding.
Project Accounting Setup in QuickBooks or Xero
We review how your bookkeeping software, timesheets, receipt tools, and invoicing system work together. We set up a consistent way to label transactions by client or job and check that payments and fees reach the books without duplicate entries.
Job Costing & Project Profitability
See what each job earned after direct costs such as subcontractors, software, travel, and production. When time and cost records are available, include direct staff labour to see which fixed-fee jobs and retainers are taking more hours than you priced in.
Monthly Bookkeeping & Cleanup
We reconcile your bank, credit card, and payment accounts and prepare monthly reports. If your books are behind, we can scope a cleanup first.
Project Bookkeeping Services
Project Profitability & Budget vs. Actual Reporting
Alongside your monthly financial statements, compare budgeted and actual project costs when estimates and job records are available. See where hours or contractor bills went over budget, then use that detail to price your next proposal.
Project Bookkeeping Cleanup & Unbilled Work
We trace older deposits and payments to invoices, correct duplicate entries, and review work you’ve delivered but haven’t invoiced. For longer jobs, we can help organize work-in-progress records and supporting details for your accountant.
Payment Processor & Bank Reconciliations
We reconcile Stripe, PayPal, or other processor payouts to your bank, accounting for fees, refunds, and timing differences. Tracking payouts separately from unpaid invoices gives you a clearer picture of project cash flow.
GST/HST Bookkeeping Support
We reconcile your sales tax records and flag questions about deposits, client expenses, or cross-border invoices for review.
Project Expense Tracking & Labour Costs
Match freelancer invoices, contractor bills, and direct expenses to the right job. If your team tracks billable and non-billable hours, we can review what can be included in job costing and where the records need more detail.
Supplier Bills & Operating Expenses
We record contractor bills and overhead such as subscriptions and insurance, and separate costs tied to individual projects so you can see where the money went.
Project Invoicing & Time Tracking Setup
We review fixed-fee, hourly, time-and-materials, and retainer billing workflows. For multi-phase projects, we help you keep billable hours, reimbursable expenses, and approved scope changes tied to the right job and invoice.
QuickBooks / Xero Troubleshooting
We investigate duplicate revenue, payments sitting in clearing accounts, and invoices showing as unpaid after the client has paid.
Why Us?
Know what’s been billed, what you’ve collected, and what you spent to deliver the work.
Bookkeepers Who Understand Project Billing
Work with a consistent point of contact who understands the difference between a deposit, a milestone invoice, and a finished job. We start with one recent project to see how you quote, invoice, get paid, and capture costs.
QuickBooks Online & Xero Bookkeeping
Each client is led by a certified Xero Advisor and QuickBooks ProAdvisor with bookkeeping experience in the field.
Support for Solo Creatives and Growing Agencies
We scope the work around your active clients, monthly transaction volume, billing schedule, and the level of project detail you want.
Experienced with Cloud Accounting Software
Paperless Books Client Reviews
★★★★★
The perfect Accountant! He help me out with all my questions. I will recommend it and work again with him! Thank you so much Samuel. You are the best
Lucia
★★★★★
I needed someone to automate my shopify with Quickbooks. Samuel was able to do this and now I only spend 1 hour per month on bookkeeping. A lot better than the hours I spent trying to figure it all out.
Megan
★★★★★
Paperless Books helped me fix my quickbooks. It was a mess. Quickbooks is too complicated for me so I am grateful they were able to bring it up to date for me.
Kwame
Monthly Bookkeeping Plans for Project-Based Businesses
Ask for a monthly bookkeeping quote based on your active projects, billing and payment tools, transaction volume, and the reporting detail you need. Bring a recent job to your free intro call and we can talk through where your records are getting stuck.
Monthly Plans
Lite
For solo creatives with straightforward books
$100K – $200K yearly gross revenue
- Monthly bank and payment processor reconciliations
- Unlimited email/phone support
- Monthly Financial Reports
- Transaction and payment fee categorization
- Project bookkeeping in QuickBooks Online or Xero
- GST/HST bookkeeping support and filing preparation
- Online receipt management in receipt management software
- Fiscal year-end financial reports sent to your accountant
- Catch-up and cleanup ($50 / hour)
Plus
For studios and agencies with several active projects
$200K – $500K yearly gross revenue
- Monthly bank and payment processor reconciliations
- Unlimited email/phone support
- Monthly Financial Reports
- Contractor bills and project expense tracking
- Client deposits, milestone invoices, and refunds
- Project bookkeeping in QuickBooks Online or Xero
- GST/HST bookkeeping support and filing preparation
- Online receipt management as needed
- Payroll Management with Wagepoint (1 employee)
- Fiscal year-end financial reports sent to your accountant
- Catch-up and cleanup ($50 / hour)
Premium
For growing teams with more complex reporting
$500K + yearly gross revenue
- Monthly bank and payment processor reconciliations
- Unlimited email/phone support
- Monthly Financial Reports
- Contractor bills and project expense tracking
- Client deposits, retainers, and milestone invoices
- Project bookkeeping in QuickBooks Online or Xero
- GST/HST bookkeeping support and filing preparation
- Payroll management with Wagepoint (1–5 employees)
- Online receipt management
- Fiscal year-end financial reports sent to your accountant
- Catch-up and cleanup ($50 / hour)
Bookkeeper for Marketing Agencies, Photographers, Designers, and Digital Businesses
Digital marketers and marketing agencies • Graphic designers and logo design studios • Wedding videographers • Wedding and family photographers • Web design and website development companies • SEO agencies and consultants • Online businesses and digital entrepreneurs
Bookkeeper for marketing and SEO agencies. Tie monthly retainers, campaign fees, and one-off audits to the right client. Track freelance writers, specialists, and billable hours by account. Keep client-funded ad spend visible separately from your agency’s management fees so it’s easier to compare account margins.
Bookkeeper for graphic designers, logo studios, and web design companies. Track deposits, billable revisions, and costs from concept through delivery. For website builds, compare design and development costs with the original quote, track kickoff and launch invoices, and keep hosting and maintenance separate from the build.
Bookkeeper for wedding and family photographers and wedding videographers. Match each booking deposit and final balance to the client, even when the wedding is months away. Track second shooters, travel, editing, albums, and music licences by job to see what each package leaves you after direct costs.
Bookkeeper for online businesses and digital entrepreneurs. Keep consulting projects, online programs, and digital product sales separate. Track launch expenses, contractor bills, and client invoices, then reconcile Stripe or PayPal payouts to the sales, refunds, and fees behind them.
Remote Project-Based Bookkeeping Across Canada
Based in Hamilton, Ontario, we provide remote bookkeeping for businesses in Toronto, across Ontario, and throughout Canada.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you track deposits, milestone invoices, and project revenue?
How do you track deposits, milestone invoices, and project revenue?
We match deposits and progress payments to the job and show what remains unpaid or unbilled. For projects spanning multiple months, we can organize contracts, invoices, and delivery records so your accountant can review when revenue should be recognized.
Can I see profit by project in QuickBooks Online or Xero?
Can I see profit by project in QuickBooks Online or Xero?
Yes, when invoices and direct costs can be linked to each job. We review your software plan and records and discuss how to include internal labour if you track staff time.
What kinds of project-based businesses do you work with?
What kinds of project-based businesses do you work with?
We work with Canadian agencies, designers, photographers, videographers, SEO consultants, web developers, and online businesses that bill by project, milestone, or retainer.
How often should I review project costs against budget?
How often should I review project costs against budget?
Monthly is a good starting point. Review active jobs sooner if costs are moving quickly or work is approaching a billing milestone. Compare hours and direct costs with the original estimate while you can still adjust the scope or discuss additional fees.
What is job costing for a service business?
What is job costing for a service business?
Job costing means assigning direct costs to the job that incurred them. For a branding project, that might include freelance illustration, font licences, and staff design time if you track it. You can then compare the cost of the job with the fee you charged.
Can you help with GST/HST bookkeeping for a Canadian agency or studio?
Can you help with GST/HST bookkeeping for a Canadian agency or studio?
We reconcile GST/HST balances, organize supporting records, and flag questions about deposits, client expenses, and cross-border invoices for review.
Can you clean up old deposits or overdue books?
Yes. We compare booking or invoicing records with bank and payment processor activity to identify unmatched receipts, duplicate entries, and older balances that need attention.
Can you help if I invoice U.S. or international clients?
Can you help if I invoice U.S. or international clients?
We can review foreign-currency invoices and settlements, including processor fees and exchange differences. The workflow depends on how you invoice and get paid.
How do we share access to the books and project records?
How do we share access to the books and project records?
We use cloud accounting workflows and appropriate access permissions. During onboarding we agree on what access is needed and how you’ll share records.