Food and hospitality Quick guide
5 bookkeeping mistakes that make restaurant numbers hard to trust
Restaurant numbers stop being trustworthy for five common reasons. Sales recorded from bank deposits instead of sales reports.
Tax guides › Food and hospitality
Food and hospitality tax guides
Food businesses run on thin margins and busy weeks, which is exactly when the bookkeeping slips. These guides cover the questions restaurant and food owners ask most. Does GST apply to a product? Why are delivery app deposits not revenue? How do tips go through payroll? Which numbers should you check before year end?
Starting from a commissary kitchen or opening a second location each has its own guide.
9 guides in this topic
Food and hospitality Quick guide
7 numbers every restaurant owner should review before year end
Before year end, look at seven numbers. Sales by channel against the platform reports.
Food and hospitality Quick guide
Buying an oven, POS system or refrigeration equipment in 2026? What to know about the tax treatment
Under the current rules, a commercial oven, fridge, dishwasher or point-of-sale system is deducted over several years through capital cost allowance.
Food and hospitality Quick guide
I sold $100,000 of food but only $65,000 hit my bank. Which number is my revenue?
Your revenue is what customers paid, $100,000 in this example. The $35,000 that never reached the bank is a set of expenses: delivery app commissions, card processing fees, refunds and promotions.
Food and hospitality Quick guide
Is there GST on my food product? 5 rules small food businesses often miss
It depends on the product, not on the fact that it is food. Most basic groceries are zero-rated, so you charge no GST.
Food and hospitality Quick guide
Opening a second location? 5 accounting systems to fix before you do
Before a second location opens, make sure five systems work at the first one. Sales and costs tracked by location.
Food and hospitality Quick guide
Restaurant tips: direct tips, controlled tips, and what each means for payroll
It depends on who controls the tip. If the employer collects or decides how tips are shared, they are controlled tips.
Food and hospitality Quick guide
Starting a food business from a commissary kitchen? 7 tax and bookkeeping things to set up first
Open a separate business account and track each sales channel on its own. Keep every commissary and storage invoice.
Food and hospitality Quick guide
The 50% meal rule has exceptions. What restaurant and hospitality owners should know
The general rule limits meals and entertainment to 50% of the lesser of what you paid and a reasonable amount.
Related services
Restaurant and Food Business Tax and BookkeepingBookkeeping, Payroll and GST Filing in SurreySelf-Employed and Small Business Tax Returns in Surrey
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