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Automate HST and GST filing workflows

Firm owners and managers can automate sales tax workflows — including monthly, quarterly, and annual HST/GST filings — so client services automatically generate pipeline jobs, assign filing tasks, bill clients, and send stage update emails.

Overview of the HST automation chain

Section titled “Overview of the HST automation chain”

A complete HST/GST automation chain connects five setup steps in Assisterp:

  1. Service template & tag: Defines the HST service structure and links it to a service tag (such as HST-Q or HST-M).
  2. Job template: Defines the HST job structure, filing due-date offsets, checklist tasks, and invoice templates.
  3. Pipeline & stage automations: Defines the workflow board and attaches automated emails, tasks, and stage auto-move rules.
  4. Pipeline trigger: Listens for On Service Update and launches recurring HST jobs when an HST service tag is attached to a client.
  5. Client service: Attaching the HST service to a client record to start the automated schedule.

Example real-life HST filing pipeline stages

Section titled “Example real-life HST filing pipeline stages”

Below is a typical 6-stage pipeline layout used by accounting firms for quarterly or monthly HST/GST returns:

[ Stage 1: Records Request ] ──► [ Stage 2: Preparation ] ──► [ Stage 3: Senior Review ]
           │                                │                              │
   Auto-email client for            Auto-generate prep              Auto-create manager
   bank & sales receipts            & ITC checklist tasks           review signoff task
                                            │
                                    (Auto-move on task completion)
                                            │
[ Stage 6: Completed & Filed ] ◄── [ Stage 5: CRA NETFILE ] ◄── [ Stage 4: Client Approval ]
           │                                │                              │
   Auto-email confirmation           Auto-generate billing          Auto-email return
   & invoice receipt                invoice & submission task      summary to client

Stage 1: Records request (entry stage)

Section titled “Stage 1: Records request (entry stage)”
  • Goal: Collect bank statements, sales registers, and purchase receipts for the period.
  • Stage Condition: None (first stage on the pipeline serves as entry for all new HST jobs).
  • Automations:
    • Email: Automatically emails the client’s accounting contact using an email template requesting period sales and expense records.
    • Task: Automatically creates the initial task Collect Sales Records and Purchase Receipts.

Stage 2: Preparation & ITC calculation

Section titled “Stage 2: Preparation & ITC calculation”
  • Goal: Staff reconciles sales accounts, calculates gross HST collected, and computes Input Tax Credits (ITCs).
  • Automations:
    • Task: Automatically creates prep tasks: Reconcile Sales & Purchase Accounts, Calculate Line 101 Sales, and Calculate Line 105 Net Tax Payable.
    • Auto-move: On. Once staff checks off all preparation tasks, the job automatically advances to Stage 3.

Stage 3: Senior review

Section titled “Stage 3: Senior review”
  • Goal: Tax manager reviews working papers, verifies ITC documentation, and approves net tax payable.
  • Automations:
    • Task: Automatically creates the review task Manager Signoff & Audit Check.

Stage 4: Client approval

Section titled “Stage 4: Client approval”
  • Goal: Provide the client with the calculated return summary for review before filing.
  • Automations:
    • Email: Automatically emails the prepared HST summary to the client (HST Return Ready for Review).

Stage 5: CRA NETFILE submission

Section titled “Stage 5: CRA NETFILE submission”
  • Goal: Submit the return electronically to Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) via NETFILE and bill the client.
  • Automations:
    • Task: Automatically creates the task Submit CRA NETFILE Return & Log Confirmation Number.
    • Invoice: Automatically generates an invoice for the firm’s HST filing fee.

Stage 6: Completed & filed

Section titled “Stage 6: Completed & filed”
  • Goal: Finalize filing, archive completed job, and send confirmation.
  • Automations:
    • Email: Automatically sends the CRA NETFILE confirmation receipt and invoice to the client.

Segment special clients on the same HST pipeline using tags

Section titled “Segment special clients on the same HST pipeline using tags”

Firms do not need to create separate pipelines for different client types (such as VIP clients, E-Commerce businesses, or Non-Profit organizations). You can use ONE single HST Pipeline and use Client Tags to route special clients or execute tailored automations.

How tags and stage conditions work together

Section titled “How tags and stage conditions work together”
  • What Client Tags are: Flexible labels assigned to client profiles under Clients (such as VIP-Client, E-Commerce, Audit-Risk, or Non-Profit).
  • Stage Condition Tags: Restricts an entire pipeline stage so it only applies to jobs belonging to clients with a matching tag.
  • Automation Action Condition Tags: Restricts a specific action (Task, Invoice, or Email) inside a stage so it only fires for clients with a matching tag.

Real-life example: Tailoring the HST pipeline with tags

Section titled “Real-life example: Tailoring the HST pipeline with tags”

Using client tags, your firm can customize the same HST pipeline for three special client categories:

1. VIP clients (VIP-Client tag)

Section titled “1. VIP clients (VIP-Client tag)”
  • Custom Email Automation: On Stage 1 (Records Request), add a Email action tagged with VIP-Client that uses a priority concierge email template sent directly from a senior manager.
  • Dedicated Review Stage: Add an optional stage Partner Approval between Stage 3 and Stage 4 with a Stage Condition Tag set to VIP-Client. Standard client jobs bypass this stage automatically, while VIP client jobs land on Partner Approval for partner signoff.

2. E-commerce clients (E-Commerce tag)

Section titled “2. E-commerce clients (E-Commerce tag)”
  • Custom Task Automation: On Stage 2 (Preparation & ITC Calculation), add a Task action tagged with E-Commerce that generates extra tasks: Reconcile Amazon/Shopify Out-of-Province Sales Tax Settlements and Verify Digital Platform Marketplace Allowances. Standard clients do not receive these extra tasks.

3. Audit risk or complex clients (Audit-Risk tag)

Section titled “3. Audit risk or complex clients (Audit-Risk tag)”
  • Custom Review Task: On Stage 3 (Senior Review), add a Task action tagged with Audit-Risk that generates Verify Subcontractor Invoices and Large Capital Purchases.

By leveraging tags and stage conditions, your firm maintains a single unified HST board while automatically providing specialized workflows for every client segment.

Step 1: Verify your HST service template and tag

Section titled “Step 1: Verify your HST service template and tag”
  1. Open Settings > Templates > Service templates.
  2. Confirm you have an HST/GST Filing template with reporting periods enabled for Monthly, Quarterly, and Annually.
  3. Under Settings > Organization > Service Settings, confirm your service tags (such as HST-Q and HST-M) have your firm’s government due-date offset configured (for example, 30 days after period end).

Step 2: Create an HST job template

Section titled “Step 2: Create an HST job template”

Define what work gets created when an HST filing period opens:

  1. Open Settings > WorkFlow Setting > Job Templates.
  2. Select the Service Templates tab and select Add (the plus icon).
  3. Enter a Template Name (such as HST Quarterly Filing Job).
  4. In Job Name, use period shortcode tokens (for example, HST Return - [Client Name] - [Period]).
  5. Set Job Start On (Days) (such as 5 days after period end) and Job Due On (Days) (such as 5 days before the government due date).
  6. Under Task, attach standard task templates for HST prep (such as Reconcile Sales & Sales Tax Accounts, Calculate Net Tax, and File NETFILE Return).
  7. Under Invoice, attach your standard HST filing invoice template.
  8. Select Save.

Step 3: Configure HST pipeline stage automations

Section titled “Step 3: Configure HST pipeline stage automations”

Configure automated actions that fire as an HST job moves across workflow stages:

  1. Open Settings > WorkFlow Setting > Pipelines.
  2. Select your tax filing pipeline or select Add (the plus icon) to build an HST Filing Pipeline.
  3. Create the stages listed in the workflow example above.
  4. On each stage, select Add Automation to configure Task, Invoice, and Email actions. Add Condition Tags to specific actions when they should only fire for tagged client groups.
  5. Turn on Auto-move on Preparation & ITC Calculation so jobs advance to Senior Review automatically once prep tasks are completed.

Step 4: Build the HST pipeline trigger

Section titled “Step 4: Build the HST pipeline trigger”

Connect your HST service tag to your HST pipeline and job template:

  1. Open Settings > WorkFlow Setting > Pipeline Trigger.
  2. Select Add (the plus icon).
  3. In Trigger When Start, select On Service Update.
  4. In Pipeline, select your HST Filing Pipeline.
  5. In Job Template, select your HST Quarterly Filing Job template.
  6. In Tags, select your HST service tags (HST-Q, HST-M).
  7. Select Save.

Step 5: Assign the HST service to a client

Section titled “Step 5: Assign the HST service to a client”

Start the automated workflow on a client record:

  1. Open Clients, select a client, and go to the Services tab.
  2. Select Add New Service.
  3. In Choose a service template, select HST/GST Filing.
  4. Set the Service Start Date for the first filing period.
  5. Select the Frequency (such as Quarterly) and select the matching Tag (HST-Q).
  6. Select Add Service.

Assisterp evaluates the pipeline trigger, creates the recurring HST schedule, and opens concrete HST workflow jobs on your pipeline board as each filing period arrives.